CASE STUDY
One Canada Square
One Canada Square is one of the defining buildings of Canary Wharf and an instantly recognisable part of the London skyline.
For The Office Group, now Fora, dMFK Architects transformed three floors of the landmark tower into approximately 90,000 sq ft of contemporary flexible workspace. The interior takes inspiration from twentieth century American corporate architecture, reinterpreted through a sophisticated palette of timber, terrazzo, textiles, planting and carefully selected furniture.
ESQ Commercial, the commercial division of Eaton Square Flooring, was commissioned to deliver the bespoke rugs, meeting room carpeting and timber flooring to the feature staircase. Each element was considered individually, responding to the scale, purpose and character of the space around it.
Working with Scale
The proportions of One Canada Square presented an unusual challenge. With floorplates extending approximately 60 metres in each direction, dMFK introduced a series of internal avenues to organise the workplace, establish long sightlines and draw natural light further into the building. Within these expansive spaces, the bespoke rugs created by ESQ Commercial provide moments of definition.
Generously proportioned rugs sit beneath carefully arranged furniture, establishing individual areas for meeting, conversation and informal working. Warm rust, muted pink and softer neutral tones introduce colour against the darker surrounding flooring and rich timber detailing. Rather than simply filling the space, the rugs give the furniture a sense of place and help establish proportion within the much larger floorplate.
Bespoke Rugs Made for Their Setting
The scale of the rugs is particularly important to the finished interior. Each has been considered in relation to the furniture it surrounds. Large areas of colour sit confidently beneath sofas, tables and chairs, creating clearly defined compositions while preserving the openness of the wider workplace.
This is where bespoke rug design becomes particularly valuable. Proportion, colour and finish can be considered specifically for the room rather than dictated by standard dimensions. The rug becomes part of the interior from the outset, with every detail responding to the architecture and furnishings around it. At One Canada Square, the result is confident but restrained. The rugs introduce colour and texture without competing with the strong architectural character of the building.
A Different Approach in the Meeting Rooms
The flooring changes as you move into the meeting rooms. Here, ESQ Commercial supplied and installed the carpeting, creating a more continuous and understated surface beneath meeting tables and furniture.
The rooms themselves have individual characters, with timber framing, curtains, sculptural lighting, artwork and carefully selected upholstery creating subtly different atmospheres.
The carpet sits quietly beneath these elements. As well as bringing softness underfoot, it contributes to the acoustic character of spaces intended for conversation, meetings and concentrated work. Its role is deliberately understated, allowing the furniture, joinery and individual colour palettes to take precedence. It is an example of flooring doing exactly what the room requires without needing to become its focal point.
The Staircase as a Centrepiece
The most architectural element of ESQ Commercial's work can be found at the centre of the project. A striking staircase connects the three floors, encouraging movement through the workplace and creating a visual relationship between spaces that would otherwise be separated by the tower's lifts.
ESQ Commercial delivered the timber flooring to the feature staircase, where the wood becomes an integral part of its design. Individual timber treads sit within the black metal structure, their rich tone echoed in the timber handrails and extensive wall panelling surrounding the stairwell.
The contrast is particularly effective. Dark metal gives the staircase definition and precision, while the timber introduces natural warmth and variation. Viewed across several floors, the repeated treads create a strong architectural rhythm. Closer up, it is the quality of the detailing that stands out. Here, the flooring is not simply a finish applied to the architecture. It becomes part of the architecture itself.
Different Materials, Different Roles
One Canada Square called for three distinctly different approaches. The bespoke rugs establish individual areas within the expansive open floors. The meeting room carpets provide a quieter foundation within more enclosed spaces. The timber staircase takes on an architectural role, connecting the three levels both physically and visually. Each performs differently because each space demanded something different.
For ESQ Commercial, working across these different materials requires an understanding of more than the flooring itself. Proportion, performance, detailing and the surrounding architecture all influence the finished result.
Precision at One Canada Square
The transformation of One Canada Square demonstrates how much can be achieved through careful material choices. Against the monumental scale of the tower, dMFK created an interior rich in detail. Timber joinery, planting, textiles, furniture, lighting and flooring all contribute to the experience of moving through the building.
ESQ Commercial's contribution follows the same considered approach.From the proportions and colours of the bespoke rugs to the understated meeting room carpeting and carefully executed timber staircase, each element was developed specifically for its setting.
Together, they demonstrate the breadth of ESQ Commercial, the commercial division of Eaton Square Flooring, and the craftsmanship, technical knowledge and attention to detail required for a commercial interior of this scale.
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