Adaptive Re-Use: O-Office Architects studio atop Silo Towers

Who would ever think of a work space high on the top of towering grain warehouses?! O-Office Architects did! They located their office atop a cluster of 38 m high silos built in the 1960s, used earlier for storing the barley of a now defunct brewery in Guangzhou, China. What they got was a 38 m high plinth, a bird’s eye view of the city around along with one of the branches of the Pearl river flowing below and loads of natural light and ventilation with outdoor terraces as well, and not to mention, a considerable waiver of the cost (financial and otherwise) of constructing the structure, of course.

The beer factory had two rows of six towering silos each, topped by a sort of a common hall that was used to house the inlet holes to these stores in its floor. This hall bridged overhead to an independent tower that contained the vertical circulation system including elevators and stairs. Huge openings were made in the walls to create windows and doors adding to the already existing ventilators, starting to convert the roughly 40 m by 6 m hall into the O-Office studio. The rooftop of the silos that extended beyond the walls of the studio were tiled and fenced to create a series of semi-circular terraces overlooking the river.

Working the plaster off the walls to expose the brickwork and leaving other parts with an exposed concrete finish has helped to articulate a raw modernist aesthetic to the space. The workstation desks have been placed along the centreline of the studio towards the wall that opens to terraces and overlooks river. The other length of wall that has the city view has the mezzanine library abutting it, supported on five timber cubicles that take care of utilities and stores.

Four of the square holes in the floor that fall between the work tables have been fitted with deep metal planters from which Wampee trees grow. This creates a veritable garden inside the studio, aided by other potted plants dotting the space. Some other square inlet holes in the floor in between the utility cubicles are covered with glass tables that allow a peep into the depths of the silos!

The entry to this studio is equally unconventional, fitted as it is with a pantry bar instead of the routine reception desk and allied seating, where the staff can catch a drink in between work. They can relax or have small discussions in the small mezzanine room above this kitchen, which is the first thing one sees on stepping out of the elevator. 

This entrance bar is followed by a slightly elevated floor preceding the rest of the studio and is actually the bridge between the two towers. A solid marble table top accords this elevated bridge floor with a formality that makes it apt for presentations and formal meetings. A full wall foldable wooden door that separates this area from the studio in the event of a private meeting can be thrown open to connect with the rest of studio and bar to accommodate larger events like lectures and presentations.