In response to Illumina’s evolving brand needs, ZGF transformed the existing building originally permitted as storage space into an engaging, hospitality-forward brand experience. The interior design is characterized by a warm neutral palette balanced by colorful furniture, bold environmental graphics, and technology integration that, together, bring energy and vibrancy to the canvas in which Illumina shares its story. Bold colors and textures are a play on Illumina’s light-inspired brand, while organic architectural forms speak to their work that’s rooted in biology. Beyond thematically serving the design concept, this parti provides a mechanism for softening the narrow, triangular geometry of the existing building.

The journey through the Executive Briefing Center is ignited upon arrival. A custom fluted marble reception desk and overhead wood paneling frames the grand stair and the undulating exhibit space beyond. This immersive entry experience is defined by a bold amalgamation of hospitality-forward finishes, space types, and a brand exhibition space equipped with best-in-class audio-visual capabilities.

With sweeping curved screens as the primary medium, the exhibit space is dedicated to showcasing Illumina’s brand, products, and research. The three main initiatives for the exhibit space were to showcase Illumina’s technology; focus on the outcomes and solutions their technology has produced; and emphasize the work of Illumina’s customers and partners. To express the facets of their brand, the space features a series of ambient digital content, on-cue video interviews, an interactive slider bar wall and table, and static graphic content.

The second level is dedicated to togetherness. Designed to facilitate interaction and provide a venue for gathering, customers can lounge in the upscale furnishings situated for views of the IllumaLens art installation and out to Illumina’s sprawling campus. Alternatively, they can head into the dining room for a hospitality-forward mealtime experience. To enhance both flexibility and indoor-outdoor connections, the existing curtain wall was opened and outfitted with floor-to-ceiling accordion doors that open to an expansive terrace. The theater space just beyond the dining room is designed to flex between education and lounge settings, heightening the flexibility of this space.

The ceiling design seen throughout levels two, three, and four creates an optical illusion. This design solution plays a pivotal role in addressing space perception within the triangular geometry of the floorplates. Embracing the funnel-shaped characteristics of the space, the angular, layered wood slats draw the eye upwards. This not only contributes to a sense of expansiveness, but establishes a consistency that plays a crucial role in maintaining a cohesive design language throughout the building.

Marking the top of the atrium, level three presents a shift in the customer journey. The third and fourth floors are dedicated to diving deeper into Illumina’s technology and research. Serving as a conferencing platform for building relationships, the third-floor features branded meeting spaces and tailored placemaking that resonates with the idea that Illumina’s story lives at the crossroads of humanities and technology.

Café spaces on the third and fourth floors provide hospitality scale and comfort. These settings are characterized by wood and marble in rich shades of brown and black, low voltage illuminated rope light fixtures, an array of seating options, and subtle expressions of Illumina’s brand colors.

The executive suite on the fourth floor is designed to facilitate collaboration, ideation, and creation. An expansive living room anchors the floor and is flanked by open and closed collaboration spaces, staff workstations, a café, and an executive boardroom.

Throughout the user journey, the myriad layers of the design aim to spark guests’ imagination and create a sense of wonder; give insight into Illumina’s ethos; provide conferencing environments for ideation; and create an environment that facilitates relationship building based on shared beliefs. As a catalyst for customer relationships, Illumina’s Executive Briefing Center makes way for researchers and clinicians to learn about and acquire the tools to make impactful genomic discoveries that improve lives and change the course of diseases globally.