Marsh & McLennan Companies: Manchester

Location: Belvedere, Manchester
Sector: Insurance
Project Size: 39,482 sq ft
Scope of Works: Design > Fit-out > Furniture

The Brief

MMC have taken 3 floors at Belvedere on Booth Street in Manchester. Claremont Group Interiors were appointed to design and fit-out the second, third and seventh floors. The open plan office space and breakout areas are located  on the second and third floors, while the client suite is located on the seventh floor.

The brief was to design a contemporary, professional yet practical space with a welcoming reception and client suite. MMC wanted to evoke a feeling of community, trust and pride in the workplace creating a great place to work for their staff.  The two different elements of the business were being brought together in Manchester for the first time and so designing a client suite that would encourage interaction and collaboration was a key factor for the success of the project. 

The Solution

On the seventh floor, a new entrance was provided opening from the lift lobby to a simple and elegant white reception area and comfortable business lounge.  The meeting suite was designed using a series of arches to disguise the prominent columns which run through the space. These grooved oak arches, coupled with full height glazing create  a feeling of warmth and spaciousness with a blue detail in the manifestation and carpet to reflect the corporate identity of the firm.  MMC wanted to encourage staff to work more closely and communicate more effectively and several informal meeting areas have been  installed within the open plan offices for staff to work more collaboratively. Bespoke resource hubs were designed and installed bringing all the printing and refreshment facilities together within the open plan areas and  in addition a bright breakout area is provided on each floor to encourage staff to meet together informally.   
Claremont provided all of the furniture within the client suite and the ancillary furniture on the working floors.

The Result

Claremont have created a fantastic new office space for Marsh & McLennan Companies. The works took 9 weeks to complete, which was accelerated from the original 10 week programme at the client’s request.

The Operations Manager UK & Ireland commented: “Belvedere House represents a significant step change above and beyond any other building in our regional portfolio.
You should rightly be proud of your design and 'fit out' team. It looks superb.”