A model of the first Mercedes-Benz automobile

Mi2 × Daimler Greater China

Daimler Greater China unveils its award-winning Beijing headquarters.

As society develops, and the way people work changes, office space has had to evolve.

Innovative enterprises and business are now increasingly investing in the renovation of their office environments — from making better use of space, and improving working efficiency, to incorporating a more human element into their designs.

As the world's most prestigious car manufacturer, Daimler is a true leader when it comes to innovation and cutting-edge technology. Its Beijing headquarters project has been accompanied by this spirit of change, which has resulted in a number of forward-thinking concepts for its use of commercial space, and a truly contemporary feel.

"Project Yi", the Daimler Greater China Beijing headquarters project, was designed and planned by Mi2, and the Daimler Greater China project team.

The name “Project Yi” originates from pinyin — the system of Romanizing Chinese characters. There are four tones for “Yi”, with each one representing different characters and meanings, thereby reflecting the project’s different core concepts and themes.

Commit: We commit to our people

Change: We change the way we work

Comfort: We care about our people’s health and well-being

Enjoy: We enable great employee experience

Together: We promote co-creation

Move: We are moving

Changes in Corporate Culture Triggers a Transformation in Office Space

"Project Yi" is a result of the transformation of Daimler's corporate culture — the modernisation of which requires efficient cooperation and interaction between management and other team members, especially with regards to staying up to date and ahead of the curve.

Accordingly, Mi2 reconstructed the 10-storey office area at Daimler Greater China’s headquarters in Beijing, with much more emphasis on the idea of "We Space", rather than focusing on the old approach of "Me Space". The renovation encompassed some 21,230 square meters, with formerly closed areas, such as private offices and old fixed stations, transformed into a 360-degrees interactive space, with no dead ends, thereby maximizing both cooperation and communication. Some small spaces focused on personal office activities, and to allow for important commercial privacy, were also kept.

In the "We Space”, work can be done anytime and anywhere. While greatly improving efficiency, this also makes work a creative experience that can take place immediately and comfortably.

The workstation design makes maximum use of natural light (thereby allowing for excellent views).

The overall layout is inspired by the classic front-end design of Daimler's Mercedes-Benz cars. Plentiful curves are used instead of rigid corner lines.

Floor Partition Design for People Orientation

The overall layout and design of the project integrates important lifestyle elements with a multi-functional approach — all while maximizing the working performance of the office space itself. The people-oriented design embraces the diverse personalities of all the different employees, thereby helping to enhance their enthusiasm, and, in turn, improving efficiency and performance, while also advocating a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

CONFERENCE FLOOR

The conference floor, meanwhile, has been designed to accommodate different types of meetings. The various spaces here come in different sizes — most  of them are equipped with video-conferencing systems and comfortable furniture settings. The conference floor’s design greatly improves general management efficiency, and ensures that people from other departments do not interrupt things unnecessarily. It also conveys the overall brand image of Daimler Greater China, too.

SERVICE FLOOR

The service floor features a one-stop service hall and café where employees can have casual meetings — or just enjoy a cup of coffee and the health food that’s available here.

AMENITY FLOOR

On the amenity floor, employees can stay healthy and escape stress by working out in the gym or the yoga room. Alternatively, they can head to the classroom to learn skills such as flower arranging or calligraphy, or build on their knowledge in the office library. This area is also equipped with facilities that recognise the importance of family life not just work life — such as a room for baby care.

The great success of this project has led to Mi2 becoming a long-term partner of the Daimler Greater China Beijing headquarters project — the second phase of which will also be led by Mi2, and will include another 10 floors (home to three companies owned by Daimler Greater China).

A model of the first Mercedes-Benz automobile

Mi2 will develop more of Daimler's global office designs in the future, and the two are now set to work together to create classic projects that embrace sustainable development, have a transformative focus on people, and promote the development of contemporary society, as well as overall well-being.