ESET Offices

The new Brno offices for the software giant ESET are imbued with a technical spirit and refer to the most famous computer viruses in history. The architects from the studio Perspektiv connected the world of digital data with an environment where employees enjoy spending time even after work.

The Perspektiv studio designed new offices for Eset employees, a company specializing in cybersecurity. Their concept is based on the contrast between technology and humanity, just like the ESET android – the face of the company and the artificial intelligence protecting the digital world. The biggest inspiration for the architects came from well-known computer viruses. The office layout is based on a rational spatial arrangement in close relation to its surroundings. The concept is underscored by the interior design using a palette of materials that combine industrial and handmade elements.

Facilities in the style of a modern data center
The offices carry references to server rooms. Emphasis was placed primarily on ensuring seamless and stable operation without external influences and noise. The advantages include extraordinary space, high acoustic comfort, and separate offices. Covering an area of 1200 m2, the facilities accommodate 80 employees, providing a calm environment for undisturbed work. However, it is not an open space; the largest office offers space for a maximum of 12 employees. Thanks to double-glazed partitions in the offices and meeting rooms, there is no disruption flowing through here. Comfort in all its forms is the top priority.

The architects decided to play with the concept of solitary blocks in the space. As a result, the offices do not feel uniform or closed off; instead, they exhibit rhythm and comprehensibility. “The corners remain open; we did not want to create a closed monolith out of the space,” comment architects Ján Antal and Martin Stára on the interior layout. Brick blocks accentuate the rawness of materials, further emphasized by the glass and metal used. Despite the austere palette of materials, the space does not feel cold. The authors emphasized working with light – backlighting of furniture, neon lights, and ambient fixtures create an intimate yet club-like vibe.

Viruses under scrutiny
Vienna, One Half, Black Energy, and Stuxnet: names incomprehensible to laypeople, but IT specialists know they refer to trojans or computer worms, for example. And it was the encounter with one of the historically first viruses (Vienna) that began the journey that led to the founding of ESET, whose founders were the first to detect it. This idea ultimately became the central concept for the realization of the entire space and especially the meeting rooms. The connecting element in each of them is the atypical metal lockers. All symbolize the visual form of the aforementioned malicious codes. The authors played with tempering the metal; some places showcase striations, while others exhibit burned motifs or backlighting.

The Vienna meeting room is dominated by Franklin chandeliers from Menu and the iconic Luis Ghost chairs from Kartell. The successfully spreading virus from the 80s, One Half, is represented by unusual asymmetrical chairs 9.5° from the Scandinavian brand Frama. An icon on the edge of an artistic object, despite its unconventional appearance, represents functional seating. The space is complemented by the variable Trapeze lamp from the brand Oblure.

Under the name Black Energy lies a trojan that caused outages in the energy, government, and media sectors in Ukraine. The authors represented it with a backlit locker, which has a custom-designed timer that drops individual phases. The Stuxnet malware is the name of the last meeting room. The cabinet made of tempered metal, which plays with all the colors of the rainbow, the Capsule crystal pendant from Brokis, and the Nobody chair from Hay resonate with the virus's ability to “cover its tracks” and appear as if it never existed.
 
A clubroom in the glow of neons
The center of social life in the Brno office is the game room. Most employees in the Brno branch are men, which influenced its equipment. It features gaming consoles with comfortable poufs and a billiard table. The space can be easily closed off or opened up using atypical massive wire-glass doors. During larger events, a much larger area opens up, continuing with seating that includes a sofa and kitchen. The game room can thus easily transform into a stylish bar. The architects were inspired by the neighboring building of the Moravian Provincial Archive, which is clad in neons of blue or red. “We drew inspiration from the Moravian Provincial Archive building itself and its striking facade. Although we oriented most of the offices to other places with higher light comfort, the realization of the game room was tailor-made for this place. In the evening hours, the lights from the archive create the right club atmosphere,” add architects Antal and Stára.

The technical space is “broken up” by a spacious dining area with a massive 5.5 m long oak table. The striking turquoise color of the corporate identity is accentuated by dining chairs. Metal is repeated not only in the furniture and ceiling but also in the shelf constructions. All metal components in the interior were sourced from the local company Duro Design. The Czech representative here is also the crystal lighting manufacturer Bomma and their product Tim. The kitchen doors are made from viroc, a material that effectively combines the flexibility of wood with the strength of cement. Handles are unnecessary here: the doors open with a touch or by stepping on a pedal.

The work with light, colors, and atmosphere also extends to the photo concept, which is the work of the Slovak duo Nora & Jakub. The light experiment with new color combinations is complemented by design decorations from Czech and Slovak manufacturers.