Heineken was the official beer and cider supplier to the London 2012 Olympics. To maximise the commercial opportunities offered by the Games, the company decided to create a new sales and marketing headquarters in the heart of London’s West End.

The brief was to provide a flexible workspace as well as state of the art meeting, presentation and hospitality spaces, which would showcase Heineken’s various drinks brands. These include John Smith’s, Foster’s and Bulmers cider.

Bold wall graphics, lighting features and customised manifestations on the glass partitions explicitly promote the company’s products. But the design also makes more subtle reference to Heineken’s heritage through the use of materials reclaimed from the brewing industry such as polished copper and aged oak. This richly patinated timber forms a backdrop to the central bar and the glass feature staircase that curves around it.

C2 has also designed Heineken’s Edinburgh office and a post-Covid reorganisation of the London HQ.