MSCI Mumbai

Continuing its efforts to transition to a hybrid work era ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic, our client embarked on densifying its Mumbai office – one of its largest offices globally – from two floors to one, reducing their footprint by half. Understanding that hybrid work may be a permanent reality, we reevaluated established design standards and focused the redesign of the Mumbai office on collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, social spaces, and client-facing areas - all primary reasons that would bring employees back to the office.

The challenge of this project was to incorporate a variety of programming into a condensed footprint. These spaces range from 1-2 person phone rooms to open floor lounge areas equipped with whiteboards for more casual collaboration and formal meeting rooms.  The unique carpet design creates zones within the mostly open floor plan with color helping identify the designated program for the space – cooler tones for focused work and vibrant colors in social areas.

Public facing spaces including focus on climate change with large-scale artwork in the Reception that depicts India’s global warming stripes and local wind energy harvesting as MSCI implements significant sustainability initiatives internally and externally. Custom wall graphics and a “sensory experience” in the Canteen entrance feature the diverse geographic climates within the country through tactile vignettes while a local waterway, Vasai Creek, served as inspiration for the custom-designed stadium seating that allows for office-wide town hall meetings.

The overall design also reflects a push towards increased inclusivity and accessibility with braille added to all signage, height adjustable workstations and conference room tables, room booking panels mounted at universally accessible heights, and artwork created by differently-abled Indian artists. The result is a workspace that reflects India’s vibrant culture, and expresses MSCI’s core values while encouraging a new way of working and giving staff a reason to come back to the office.