Lisbon and Dublin-based designer Emily Cunnane has always operated at the intersection of art and interior design—and her twin commissions for Irish tech unicorn Intercom make a case for what happens when that philosophy is applied at scale.

Across Intercom’s new Dublin headquarters on St Stephen’s Green and the company’s East London outpost on Old Street, Cunnane and her studio have delivered something rare in the world of corporate interiors: spaces that feel collected rather than fitted out. The two offices share a consistent design language—drawn from a shared pool of artists and collaborators—while each responds distinctly to its own location and scale.

The London project, a 1,550 sqm conversion in the heart of Shoreditch, began not with a floor plan but with a painting. Australian artist Rosie Woods’ dripping gold Old Street Keepers oil work—itself inspired by a local piece of street art—set the creative tone for everything that followed. Over forty artworks were ultimately curated across both floors, with pieces by artists including Zuzana Rohelova, Sara Hoque, Richard Dixon, and Hazel Coonagh contributing warmth, wit, and visual energy throughout. Rather than dividing the floor with hard partitions, the studio used timber screens, drapery, and sweeping chainmail dividers to create intimate zones that preserve openness and natural light. Handmade tiles from Liverpool, hand-knotted rugs installed vertically as acoustic panelling, and custom joinery crafted on-site add layers of tactility that push the project firmly into residential territory.

The Dublin headquarters is a different proposition entirely—three full floor plates across 3,480 sqm, anchored at one of the city’s most sought-after addresses. Each level has its own character, unified by a material palette: custom tiling, low-level layered lighting, sweeping drapery, and stainless steel used as a sharp counterpoint to softer underfoot and wall finishes. The top floor functions as a social hub and canteen, with glass bricks defining zones while keeping the space light and open. Its standout feature is a concealed day-to-night bar with three-metre-high tambour doors—designed by the studio and made in collaboration with Bear Creation—that shifts from daytime coffee spot to evening lounge. Seventy curated artworks are distributed across the building, giving every corner its own moment.

Cunnane’s approach across both projects is coherent: art-first, material-led, and resolutely anti-generic. The result is a pair of workplaces that feel alive—and that make the case, convincingly, that the office can be so much more than a backdrop.

[Photography by Ruth Maria Murphy.]