Dubai-based design studio Roar has completed the new headquarters Abu Dhabi’s Early Childhood Authority. Spread across 1,800 square feet in the Al Mamoura tower, the 100-person office balances playful colors with sleek modernity to promote the organization’s educational mission.
“The key challenge was to design a space that captures attention with the playful nature of childhood, while at the same time being a mature office,” says Roar creative director and founder Pallavi Dean. “The outcome is a sophisticated workplace for education professionals to do their job—from deep, solo work to collaboration—but with a warm, whimsical look and feel.”
A large, fluffy monster, dubbed Big Blue, animates the arrival experience with a dose of playfulness while also setting the tone for the project’s vibrant color scheme and soft tactile textures. Informed by a color psychologist, the palette is defined by orange spaces to inspire energy and blue areas to soothe and calm. Hallways and circulation areas are lined with distorting mirrors reminiscent of a funhouse, while meeting rooms each boast distinctive layouts and design signatures, including a felt map of the United Arab Emirates.
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