Work environments that ‘Activate the Senses’ at Workspace Design Show 2025

In the contemporary fast-paced world, people dwell in their workspaces as much as, if not more than, their homes. Work environments, hence, have been subjected to due evolution in terms of design, facilities, technologies and comfort—both physical and mental. In the sphere of workplace innovation, Workspace Design Show, an expansive design event bringing together premium interior products and solutions from pioneering names in the industry, has firmly established itself in the global event calendar.

For its latest iteration, set to unfold in London from February 26 – 27, 2025, the show will expand its lineup of exhibitors, hosting a series of powerful discourses surrounding sustainability, workplace design and culture and future workplace experiences. Striking sensory installations, sustainable concepts and countless cutting-edge product designs respond to this year’s theme: Activate the Senses. “With the industry being at such a pivotal point of change, we are looking to gain a deeper understanding of how, through research and knowledge, technological innovations can benefit the workplace environment,” says Esha Bark-Jones, co-founder of Workspace Design Show, in an official statement.

Launched in 2021, Workspace Design Show has brought together world-class design and manufacturing industry excellence in each edition. In 2024, the show welcomed over 4,500 workplace professionals from over 40 countries to the Business Design Centre, London; the visitors explored more than 500 diverse products that embody the office specification trends. In 2025, the show will return with higher aspirations and a more comprehensive programme, inviting the attendees to ‘Activate the Senses’. Multisensory environments that usher the audience into immersive experiences will reaffirm the overarching theme. Carefully curated spaces, dabbling with light, sound, aromas and temperature, will showcase how each of the five senses significantly impacts the mind, well-being and productivity. “We are all becoming increasingly more in tune with our personal needs and how they differ from one person to the next. Through talks, exhibitors and connections, Workspace Design Show will bring this to life,” Bark-Jones mentions in an official statement.

ID:SR, an interior design and architecture studio, will conceive an immersive arrival experience at the show in the Entrance Feature. A ‘digital garden’ with animated silhouettes, reflective surfaces and natural textures will engage the viewer’s senses through holistic, hospitality-focused workplace design and, in the process, underline its potential to aid wellbeing, productivity and engagement in the workplace. Architecture practice specialising in workplace design, M Moser Associates, will take over the realisation of the Visitors Lounge. Following the ‘Reclaimed’ concept, surplus materials will morph into a sensory experience—a space to pause, catch up during the day and host drinks for the Workspace Design Show party. The lounge will include contributions from contemporary design brands such as Andreu World, Atrium, Smile Plastics, OSOL and EcoScent. “Our Lounge will be designed to encourage interaction and exploration, providing a unique opportunity for attendees to experience firsthand how thoughtful, sustainable design can transform environments,” says Gurvinder Khurana, director at M Moser Associates.

Material Bank will partake in the event with a sensory installation that looks to the comprehensive Material Bank Library for inspiration. The interactive experience will feature a curated selection from the firm’s innovative brand partners, offering visitors a chance to feel textures, observe colours closely and get expert advice from the Material Bank team to make informed decisions for their projects. A personal exploration of materials, textures and colours will continue in the popular Mood Board Contest, with official partner Peldon Rose, where participants delve into the fundamentals of workplace design. The Gallery Bay will be donned in a design titled Sense of Space by the UK-based, multidisciplinary engineering consultancy firm Hoare Lea. The mixed-media showcase inquires about different sensory environments and their influence on mental and physical well-being—speculating ways to regain agency and health amidst the mundane commotion.

Buttressing the wide repository of presentations, seminal leaders in the commercial interior design industry—such as Foster + Partners, ID:SR, Heatherwick Studio, tp bennett and Jacobs—will come together for the Workspace Design Talks programme. In the Design Talks Area, sponsored by furniture consultancy Umbrella and delivered in partnership with design practice Gensler, a range of professionals will speak on a variety of topics echoing the event’s theme across the two days. The roles of multisensory workplace environments in overall well-being, artificial intelligence, diversity, community building, and data-driven decision-making in design are some subjects that will be discussed by the speakers. The Sustainability Talks series will also join the 2025 edition, platforming pivotal figures steering leading sustainable initiatives in the workplace industry. Speakers will include Steve Wright, director of Workplace Design and Change Management, GSK; Adam Strudwick, principal, Perkins&Will; and Jeremy Myerson, Professor Emeritus, Royal College of Art. 

The Occupiers Forum: The View From HQ will harbour discourses that bring to the fore insights from the clients on the future workplace experience and workplace environments that engage with employees. Designed by Ryder Interiors and sponsored by Umbrella, the forum’s milieu will draw inspiration from the coast in an interplay of sensory experiences, sustainability, memories and emotions. The designers transform ocean plastic waste into a unique material palette evocative of the beauty of marine environments. The Finishes & Interiors Sector (FIS) Conference will complete the thorough talks programme. This not-for-profit representative body for the finishes and interiors sector in the UK will stage a series of panel discussions highlighting the latest trends and insights in the fit-out industry.

As technology becomes more and more inextricable from daily life, its repercussions on people working with and around it become more apparent. Workspace Design Show 2025 aspires to investigate these intersections in work environments through its nudge to Activate the Senses. While the features at Workspace Design Show promise a captivating journey through leading-edge workplace expertise, sensory innovation, sustainability and design excellence, the talks programme musters architects, designers, industry experts and professionals for a cross-pollination of thoughts and ideas surrounding the future of the office. Furthermore, the show announces the launch of the Workspace Wellbeing Hero, an initiative to celebrate individuals who strive to support wellbeing in work environments through acts of kindness, compassion and resilience. “Workplace design is more than just creating functional spaces; it’s about shaping environments that enhance human experiences and nurture wellbeing,” Esha Bark-Jones adds further in an official statement. “This initiative is our way of recognising the everyday heroes whose kindness, strength and compassion make the workplace a better space for everyone.”