A New Standard for Law Firm Office Interiors — The STAR Law Firm Project ②

We live in an era where the office environment becomes the company's image. If you've been wondering "what should an office that fits our organization perfectly look like?", take a closer look at the approach STAR Law Firm chose with SPACEBASE. How the process of an image transformation actually took shape in a real space — this article should give you a good hint.

When someone changes their outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, we often say they've "transformed their image." The same goes for office spaces. The Seoul office of STAR Law Firm (hereafter STAR) also began from the need to "break away from the typical law firm image and gain a new one."

So how did SPACEBASE solve this challenge? From the overall concept of the space down to the ceiling, furniture, and lighting, careful consideration and meticulous analysis followed at every step. Continuing from the previous article, we spoke with SPACEBASE designer Kim Young-eun about the behind-the-scenes story of this project. We'll share the thinking and the standards that brought STAR's new Seoul office to completion.

If you're contemplating an image transformation for your company and its office, or searching for an office that fits the way your organization works, read this one through to the end as well.

A space where internal members and visitors come together

True to STAR's character, lighting was used in a wide variety of ways. Was there a particular reason for using different lighting in each zone?

Lighting is a key element in determining the mood of a space. Because the feel changes dramatically depending on illuminance and color temperature, we placed it carefully according to the purpose of each zone.

In spaces mainly used for office work, we used 4000K neutral white to create a bright, focused environment that still doesn't feel cold. In contrast, in spaces meant more for rest, such as the sofa lounge, we used 3500K warm white illuminance to reduce eye strain and convey a warmer, more comfortable feeling.

Different lighting was placed according to each purpose — rest and office work. Bright-toned lighting was used in work areas to enhance focus, while warm tones with slightly lower illuminance were used in rest areas to create an environment that eases fatigue.

Sofas appear frequently across many spaces. Was there a reason for using sofas so extensively?

A law firm isn't a space used only by internal staff — it's also a place clients visit often. That's why we placed sofas in various spots so they could serve as waiting areas before consultations. At the same time, it was also meant to let employees step away from their workstations for a moment and rest comfortably.

Sofas and armchairs placed in the consultation rooms can provide a far greater sense of stability than rigid chairs. When the people receiving consultations sit in a comfortable posture, they feel more at ease psychologically as well, so we planned around this kind of furniture in line with the experience of the people using the space.

We heard you made extensive use of custom-built furniture. In what way was it used?

We actively applied rounded forms to the entire front face of the space and to the furniture as well. In this way, we made the overall mood connect naturally.

Clients visit STAR's office frequently, and consultations take place there too. Because of that, we didn't want the office to feel too rigid. (Applied to the custom furniture as well,) we hoped the sense of stability and softness that rounded elements bring would permeate the space, so that visitors would feel warm and comfortable.

And in the lounge as well, instead of a typical office layout or off-the-shelf furniture, we used custom-built furniture so that a variety of users could share the space.

Part of a drawing for the custom furniture placed in the consultation room. Shelving with rounded forms was made and used so it could connect with the concept of the space.

The actual custom-built furniture. It was crafted so it would blend naturally with the overall color palette and image of the space.

The ceiling design looks distinctive. Please tell us about this part too.

First, we thought about how to connect the ceiling and the walls naturally. We wanted to make the entire space look as if it were woven into a single mood.

We connected the semicircular round motif of the ceiling with the curves of the walls. By extending this vertically and horizontally, we made the form flow naturally from the wall up to the ceiling. Through this, we gave the entire space a flow that seems to 'rise upward,' tying it together into one mood.

The semicircular round lighting of the ceiling was intended to connect naturally with the curves of the walls. In this way, the entire space was staged so it could be woven into a single mood.

We also created contrast by designing the ceiling differently in two areas — the HOTDESK in front of the main multi-vision and the work-centered synergy zone. One side has an exposed ceiling, the other a gypsum ceiling. Even so, we designed the lighting lines so they wouldn't break and would continue throughout. Thanks to this, we minimized visual disconnection, and the flow of the curves combined with the continuous lighting added depth to the space. In this way, even with different zones, we arranged everything so it would feel like a single space.

Harmony created through careful observation and consideration

You composed various forms of work areas within the lounge. When creating different work formats in the same zone like this, how did you strike a balance?

Even with multiple work formats coexisting, we designed it so that no particular zone would stand out excessively, aiming for office zoning that naturally embraces everyone as our goal.

Because the client wanted a space where visitors and internal staff wouldn't be distinguished, instead of a typical office layout or off-the-shelf furniture, we applied custom-built furniture and mixed zoning that a variety of users could share.

Part of a drawing for the table and custom furniture placed in the lounge.

The actual custom-built table placed in the lounge work area. SPACEBASE mainly used custom-built furniture instead of off-the-shelf pieces. A small drawer was added beneath the desk to improve convenience, and the side was given a rounded form. Even down to such detailed elements, both user convenience and the overall concept of the space were taken into account.

We also carefully adjusted density and circulation to create a flow where focus, collaboration, and rest connect like a gradient. As a result, we were able to strike a balance where anyone could freely work or stay in this space in their own way, while no single zone stood out excessively. by tuning it carefully.

As a result of careful thought and adjustment so that focus, collaboration, and rest could connect naturally, various forms of work areas were composed with a sense of balance.

We can feel the careful thought put into making the way people work, and the people themselves, comfortable. What process did you go through when designing the desks?

STAR operates a free-address seating system with no fixed seats. We set up a separate locker zone so people could store their personal belongings. But because there are items that need to be taken out and used right away, we wanted to improve convenience by placing a small drawer beneath the desk.

When working in an office, 'sightlines' subtly weigh on you. We could feel that SPACEBASE carefully considered this aspect in the work areas it designed as well.

For the focused-work areas, we unified the half-walls on both the front and the sides to a height of 1200mm, based on the average seated height. Doing this minimizes sightline interference with people passing through the corridor. When the heights within a space aren't consistent, the whole thing can look uneven. We matched the height of the half-walls with the top height of the table stands to align the horizontal line.

In this way, we designed it so that sightlines are naturally blocked while the flow and continuity of the entire space are maintained.

In the focused-work areas, the height of the half-walls seen from the front and the sides was unified. It blocks unnecessary sightlines while giving an overall tidy feel.

A 'cafe-like office' that considers function and aesthetics at once

The round seating arrangement at the center of the lounge had a curiously grand feel. What concept did a space like this start from?

We designed this space drawing on the form of an ancient Greek theater. Ancient Greek theaters served a core function of the city and also became places of debate where citizens gathered to discuss important matters of the community. Referencing this symbolism, we connected it with STAR's organizational culture, which emphasizes autonomy, and designed it as a space that could be used naturally when company-wide meetings or events are held.

A view of the amphitheater in Athens. The central space of the lounge was created drawing on the form of an ancient Greek theater. (Image courtesy of Unsplash)

Round tables are arranged in a large circle. It was designed as a space that connects with STAR's organizational culture, which emphasizes autonomy, and that can be used naturally when company-wide meetings or events are held.

The flooring in this zone seems to be applied differently from other spaces. Is there a particular reason?

In the lounge, we used carpet so that the ceiling, furniture, and floor would all continue in rounded forms. Through this, we emphasized the feeling of one large space.

Also, the carpet and rugs used in the consultation rooms and the sofa lounge have sound-absorbing properties, which helps reduce noise in an environment where people come and go frequently. It was an element applied with both functionality and staging effect in mind.

The texture and color of the finishing materials used on the walls are quite varied as well. In what way did you use them?

Finishing materials are a very important element in interior design. Texture and color together determine the visual impression. When using a texture with a strong pattern, we adjust the color so it doesn't stand out too much in the space; conversely, when using a finishing material with strong color, we choose a texture with a simple pattern to keep the balance. By adjusting texture and color together this way, we considered the harmony of the entire space.

Part of the paint list used in this project. Various textures and colors are used to suit their purpose, determining the visual impression.

Wall finishing materials were used with various textures and colors to suit the purpose of each zone.

If you want to create a 'cafe-like office,' what's the most important thing?

The essence of a cafe is "open seating and natural coexistence." To realize this, you need to design zoning of flexible and fixed seats based on a free-address system, where anyone can comfortably mix and sit together.

But because an office is a workspace, not a cafe, the standards need to be set even more clearly. Rather than simply picking pretty furniture, it's important to first define who (the users), what (the work, the behavior), and how often (the frequency) something is used. Only after going through this process can a 'cafe-like office' that fits its purpose truly be completed.

The office that determines a company's image

The STAR Law Firm project was a case that showed once again how a space can embody a company's philosophy. SPACEBASE tied together various elements — rounded structures, lighting, color, texture — into a single concept, completing a balance of new atmosphere and effective function. What mattered in this process wasn't simply aesthetic staging, but creating an environment where users and visitors can stay and communicate comfortably.

The kind of space you create can influence brand experience and image. That's why even professional organizations like law firms need a clear spatial concept.

*Photos and design courtesy of SPACEBASE

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