Unilever gets Tilney Shane interior

Tilney Shane begins implementation work this week on redesigning the interiors of Unilever Bestfoods UK head office in Crawley, in a project understood to be worth more than £250 000 in fees.

Unilever Bestfoods UK was formed through the merger of Van den Bergh Foods and Bestfoods UK in January 2001.

The aim of the office revamp is to increase capacity and articulate the company’s culture, according to Unilever Bestfoods integration leader Steve Morlidge.

‘We want the design to create something new. The perception of the building now is that it could belong to a bank or insurance company.

‘Brands are part of [the revamp], but we don’t want to make it a shop window. It’s more about corporate values,’ he says.

The project budget is £5m, with ‘in excess of £250 000’ being spent on design, says Morlidge.

Tilney Shane chief executive Kathy Tilney says, ‘As a result of the merger, [it was felt] design of the office environment would help the cultures come together.’

The consultancy plans to create a ‘neutral infrastructure’ with its design, in which mobile branding devices could be moved around ‘like stage sets’, Tilney adds.

Tilney Shane was appointed last May following a three-way pitch and is collaborating with management and occupancy consultant ISGC on the project.