Maersk is a Danish integrated shipping company, active in ocean and inland freight transportation and associated services such as supply chain management and port operation. Maersk has been the largest container ship and supply vessel operator in the world since 1996.

Collaboration was appointed to design the interior for Maersk HQ on the Eighth and Ninth Floors of the Roggebaai Building on the foreshore of the Cape Town CBD.

Collaboration assisted with the building selection by performing feasibility studies to assess whether the building and location met the required criteria for the relocation of Maersk offices from the Clock Tower Precinct in the V & A Waterfront to the new building on the foreshore.

The new offices accommodate three hundred staff spread over two floors. The main reception and external meeting room suite is located on the Eighth Floor, while the balance of the space on the Eighth and Ninth Floor is made up of internal meeting rooms and informal collaboration spaces. Informal lounges placed in key locations within the large open-plan working areas provide places for conversation and semi-private working. A work-café is located on each floor which allows for informal working and social activities, giving staff a destination to break away from the maximized open-plan working areas.

Being a Danish company, Scandinavian design principles were key in the selection of materials and in the detailing of all the joinery and furniture within the space. The scheme is minimalistic in approach which influenced the selection of neutral colours and textures throughout. Large scale image graphics from key Maersk sites were used throughout. Colour was introduced through brightly upholstered furniture and indicates the location of the furniture setting on the floor plate, thus orientating the user.

Mobility was a key consideration in that all employees work on laptops allowing for maximum mobility to be able to meet and work from any location within the new offices or remotely from home. Ergonomics dictated furniture selection throughout the installation, resulting in all workstations being height adjustable thus allowing users control over their posture during the course of the working day.