With this article, we return in memory to one of the most unique pieces of office equipment that we were able to realize at the request and idea of an architectural studio. The order took place in 2016. Our company Human Office, a leading provider of modern office furniture and interior design, had the pleasure of supplying and installing a unique design element for a modern office in the prestigious Q22 building in Warsaw, on the 22nd floor for client Allegro.
The architect working on the design of the new office space decided that the focal point of the reception area, in addition to the reception counter, would be the car standing in the reception space, specifically the Polish automotive classic Syrena 105, a model popularly known as “Kurołapka,” with its doors opening in reverse, i.e. hinged on the side of the seat backs. In an elegant blue color and with a light center in leather and steel elements lacquered in the color of leather. This order was entrusted to our company, Human Office, because of our experience and professionalism in not only providing high-quality office equipment, but also our extensive logistical experience and professional approach to the engineering work related to transportation and analysis of the capabilities of the building and vertical and horizontal traffic routes.
We took on this challenge with full commitment.
Since we have a special respect for traditions and antiques, we decided not to buy a restored car, but to look for a neglected, dilapidated copy that we could rebuild for the project. Unfortunately, we were not able to search for anything like this on the Internet portals, so we decided to run a slipper mail. The search had the intended effect, we found an old, dusty and rusty copy that had been stored by an enthusiast of classic communist automobiles near Czestochowa. Everything pointed to this being the copy for us for the project. In a moment, the Syrena 105 was packed onto the trailer and we were on our way to a friendly workshop.
The restoration work consisted of stripping the car down to its base components, removing rust and coatings, anti-corrosion protection, painting the parts blue and a shade of leather selected for upholstering the seats. We upholstered the seats, headliner and center with new sponge pieces, springs, upholstery in bright thread as standard. The floor received new construction and carpeting. Some of the components for the car we had to search extensively during the work after contacts from all over Poland – wipers, turn signals, mirror, grill or car handles, windshields, and even stamps and bumper had to buy practically elsewhere. The great effort that was spent on working on this exhibit was crowned with success, we made a beautiful, brand-new copy of the classic as an exhibit for the interior of the company’s reception area in the office and everything according to the agreed completion date.
At the end of the work, it remained to transport the car to the 22nd floor of the Q22 building in Warsaw. Our expertise allowed us to find the right logistical solutions to deliver the Mermaid 105 by technical elevator to the 22nd floor of the Q22 building, and then through the corridors and install it in the reception area as expected by the architect. Despite some of the challenges of transporting and adjusting the dimensions of the cargo to the elevator and aisles, our team’s professional approach yielded results, resulting in the photos attached to this article.
Due to limited space in the elevator and in the corridor, we decided to invisibly split the Siren 105 into two parts for transport after completion of the structural work, which also required an additional mounting substructure. Upon arrival at the site, our team of professionals assembled and positioned the vehicle on special supports, eliminating any potential problems associated with the loss of air pressure in the tires over time.
At the end of the process, we subjected the 105 Mermaid to a detailed detailing to ensure that our client received the highest standard of finish and that all details were taken care of. As a result, he received a shiny and brand-new copy of the communist classic. The new style of the Siren 105 fit perfectly into the modern office interior, and the client was positively surprised by the quality of the work we did.
The architect paid particular attention to the functionality of the 105 Mermaid, using it as a boarding area through the company’s employees and guests, as well as using it as a phone booth.
As part of our services, we also added an additional idea from ourselves t.i.e. the electrical connection of the car to the floorbox, allowing power and illumination of the lamps and clocks on the car’s equipment, but a minor reworking of the electrics was also necessary. The car got a completely new style and looked great.
Human Office is a proud provider of quality office furniture and interior design, dedicated to the satisfaction of its customers through professionalism, innovative approaches, and consistently high quality service. We have logistics experience in the most interesting projects, including those like this one, which required a lot of attention and engineering expertise. We work with architects and are willing to approach the most demanding ideas. We invite architectural studios to cooperate with us on the next interesting and ambitious projects.
