The Open Space office design concept reflects both a new style and contemporary work culture. Based on the open communication model, it is synonymous with modernity. It became clear many years ago that office buildings divided into small rooms restricted the flow of information. In the United States, offices based around the open-space concept have been around for decades. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the first offices of this kind-the Larkin Building and Johnson Wax premises-looked more like factory workshops than contemporary open-space offices. In Europe, open-space designs started to appear in the 1960s and 70s. In Poland, they did not exist before the early 90s.

The concept of an open office space arrangement has many advantages. First, it enables the optimal use of available space, the easy adjustment of the number of workstations and the use of spatial solutions that synergize with the specific nature of the work of a given organization. Additionally, a space arranged in this way is more comfortable as it is larger and allows for more light and greater airflow in the office, thus benefiting staff.

Disadvantages include increased background noise and a lack of privacy. With these in mind, many office designers offer solutions utilizing glass partition walls that divide the space and dampen extraneous noises while still providing a sense of spaciousness.

Using this type of partition walls allows one to divide up office space while maintaining the staff's privacy. However, in order to achieve an optimal effect from the workspace, the quality of all office design elements must be of a very high standard. Solutions of this kind are often employed by companies for which a traditional spatial design neither corresponds with the nature of their work nor the philosophy of openness, but where there is still a need for separate rooms for meetings and individual work. One such arrangement can be found at the Warsaw office of Depfa Bank, located in the Warsaw Stock Exchange building on Książęca Street. Depfa's office was designed by A&A Contracting, a Polish representative of the office furniture producer Frezza, based in Treviso, Italy.

"In the Depfa Bank project in Warsaw, instead of walls separating individual rooms, we used partly glazed Frezza walls, which divide the space into individual sections, but still allow enough light to penetrate, thus providing a sense of openness. A translucent middle band, placed at eye-level of a seated person, is made using frosted glass, thus ensuring a comfortable setting for both informal talks and meetings. The glass panes are coupled with wooden elements, giving rooms a warmer feeling," said Anna Wojnar, an A&A Contracting board member. She added that "we had to work with an office building with austere concrete ceilings. In a 180 sq m space, we managed to design a reception desk, two offices, a large conference room, a room able to accommodate four workstations and a small conference room. Most of the rooms have a view of the park by Książęca Street with trees forming a natural wall of greenery. The glass walls are reusable and portable, so when moving to another building, the company can take them along. The office space arrangement using glass walls is in the long run an economic and flexible solution allowing for any changes in interior design that might be necessary in the future."

A company arranging its office must first and foremost keep in mind the specific nature of its work. The office has to be functional but also reflect the company's philosophy, its spirit and means of operating.

Depfa Bank plc is one of the leading providers of financial services to the public sector worldwide. The company has its headquarters in Dublin. With the needs of the Polish public sector in mind, the bank opened its Warsaw office in 2005.

"We are a bank that funds public sector projects," said Paweł Piłatkowski, the CEO at Depfa Bank plc. He added that "as a result, we were certain that we needed to locate our office in a prestigious place. We considered two locations-Rondo 1 and the Stock Exchange Center. We wanted a place that was accessible to our partners and at the same time prestigious and cozy enough to enable peaceful work on our projects. We specified our expectations very precisely. We looked for a firm that would create a comprehensive design by a specific deadline and that would create an office combining prestige, something our bank cares greatly about, and modernity. We wanted this project to change the traditional image of the bank and Frezza proposed a solution that met these expectations. Initially, we feared that our glass office will be cold and stand-offish, but the wooden elements and cabinets designed by the architects gave the rooms a cozy look. The frosted glass panes give us as much privacy as we need. The view of the park is very relaxing. We work with greenery all around us, and all our guests admire our view. Depfa's Warsaw office is one of our most modern, and we are proud of it. It is our contribution to changing the company's image."

A contemporary office has to be flexible. It should take into account the needs of individual employees along with the work-place demands of the company. Quiet spaces where workers cannot hear ringing telephones or casual conversations definitely help create the ideal environment needed for undisturbed concentration; company staff can therefore stay fully immersed in their workflow. Such an environment was successfully created for Depfa Bank's office, despite its open floor plan.