Friendly and informal with a touch of glamour

«An airline is a team. It must be friendly, courteous, cooperative, efficient and bound as closely as a devoted family.» These words uttered by the founder of Delta Airlines and transcribed on a coloured panel in the new headquarters sum up the spirit of this project, whose aim was to refresh the look of the Atlanta headquarters while preserving the values of the airline’s tradition. The goal was to create an innovative and stimulating open space that would inspire employees and customers, narrate the company’s history and create an atmosphere conducive to relaxation and socialisation.
The new lobby was designed with four different areas in terms of energy and functions: a brightly-lit, energising and visually-striking entrance connected to the cafeteria; a relaxing space for meeting customers that stands out for its warm colours and soft lighting; a rapid transit space that tells the story of the brand; and finally the hall with the stairs and lifts to the offices. The architects envisaged the new Woolman Café as a lively, cheerful space that could be described by keywords such as lively, refresh, nourish, energize and work. This area projects many different visual messages: the typically industrial look of coloured metal beams, the reassuring nature of wood panels and false ceilings, and the sheer energy of the colour red chosen for many of the furnishings and portions of walls and ceilings.
Elements that help create a bright, informal atmosphere include the large windows, a fitness room, coloured panels and furnishing solutions in an array of colours, layouts and materials. Employees can choose from several different options for their rest breaks: round tables with comfortable armchairs, long tables for socialising in company, bar counters with stools for a quick snack, or the intimate micro-spaces typical of American bars. Amidst all the apparent heterogeneity, three common factors can be identified: the «ceiling carpet» of lights and exposed installations; use of the colour white; and above all the metropolitan effect of the ceramic panels chosen for the floor covering in all spaces, which bring style and character to the project while guaranteeing the safety and ease of cleaning required of high-traffic spaces. Fulfilling the need for materials that are hard-wearing, hygienic, easy to clean and pleasing to touch and look at, Stoneone collection tiles from Marca Corona — chosen in this case with a stone/concrete effect surface and in the colour One.Silver — fit perfectly into the context and are ideal for creating an informal, glamourous atmosphere.