In 2021 the doors opened on BLINK’s custom-made facility. This was no mean feat amidst a global pandemic that disrupted even the best laid plans.
Christian Meyer Landrut, an elusive master of industrial concrete and a good friend, designed the new 4,500 m2 campus housing an office building, laboratory building and production facility. The facility has been designed around the guiding principles of collaboration, transparency and function and is infused with an industrial aesthetic, albeit with a twist.
The facility promotes collaboration and movement through the centralisation of a large open space, a marketplace where staff gather for lunch and meetings.Everyone must move through this space to reach either the laboratory building, the production facility, offices, or meeting rooms. Encouraging movement and interaction through physical design is just one way that BLINK creates a workspace that thrives on collaboration and balance.
Throughout the building a network of colourful pipes traverses the ceiling spaces, transforming utility to beauty. The Marketplace houses a slide for those days when the stairs just won’t cut it. A green-wall takes centre in the lunch hall and is surrounded by furniture inspired by organic shapes and a small, but growing library.
The laboratory building includes BSL3** labs, biological and chemical laboratories for reagents and test development, physical and technical laboratories for optics, electronics, mechanics, 3D-printing, prototype assembly and connection technology as well as a workshop and storage areas.
The external cladding of the main building is photo-responsive, changing colour depending on the light. The internal courtyard houses a community garden that is tended by staff wishing to indulge their green thumb. So far we’ve harvested some zucchini, tomatoes and pumpkins which were enjoyed over lunch.
The construction of this facility has been an enormous achievement, embodying the spirit of BLINK, a spirit that rises to challenge and thrives on innovation. But, it’s just a start, and the future is bright.