RELOCATION OF eMIRATES hOLIDAYS: CREATING AN EMPOWERING SPACE FOR EMPLOYEES
BACKGROUND
Emirates Holidays is the premium holiday planning arm of the Emirates Group, known for creating tailor-made luxury trips to Dubai and beyond. Serving a large UK market, the company’s presence here is vital. Following growth of their London team of holiday experts, Emirates Holidays sought a new space, relocating from Cromwell Road to the Cottons Centre, London Bridge.
Location: London Bridge, SE1
Company size: 50 staff
Project size: 5,000 sqft
Sector: Travel
Duration: 7 weeks
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Cityspace was commissioned to redesign Emirates Holidays’ chosen space at the Cottons Centre. The company wanted a workplace that reflected its independent identity while staying aligned with Emirates Group brand standards. With booking teams working long hours, including evenings and weekends, the priority was to create a practical yet uplifting office where staff felt supported in their day-to-day work.
Cityspace guided the project from property evaluation through to design, build and final fit-out, ensuring the new environment was both functional and welcoming.
CHALLENGES AND EXPECTATIONS
The evaluation report highlighted several challenges. Half of the existing air conditioning units required replacing, and the ground-floor location, surrounded by high-rise buildings, limited natural light. Certain original features were dated and uninspiring, yet could not be permanently removed without breaching lease obligations.
The new office needed to balance these constraints while meeting Emirates’ expectations for a comfortable, professional environment that empowered staff and reinforced the brand.
RECOMMENDATIONS
At the heart of the brief was staff wellbeing. Cityspace maximised desk space to ensure comfort, adding planters to introduce a more residential feel and palisade dividers to soften the layout, helping separate the spaces while connecting and maintaining the natural flow of circulation. We hid the original marble walls, complementing the space with soft furnishings and rugs to bring warmth.
A new kitchenette and breakout area was created as a welcoming retreat, particularly important for those working out-of-hours shifts. Meeting spaces were rethought with significant improvements. The board room was originally fully glazed, cold and uninviting with hard flooring and poor acoustics. It was not conducive to motivation, positivity or collaboration. We reworked the space by adding privacy manifestation to the glass, a rug to soften the feel and improve sound quality, and panelling to further absorb sound and improve acoustics. The result was a private, functional meeting space that feels warm, professional and fit for purpose.
To strengthen brand identity, the design paired Emirates’ corporate colour palette with bright destination-themed murals, reflecting the spirit of Emirates Holidays. LED lighting was introduced to counteract limited daylight, improving working conditions and enhancing energy efficiency.
PROJECT OUTCOMES
The end result gives staff a residential-feeling environment that supports them and their work while embodying the Emirates Holidays brand. At the heart of this project is Cityspace’s commitment to create corporate spaces that prioritise people over vanity, without compromising on quality.
