The tables at these offices for Arts Council England by Moxon Architects can be hoisted out of the way to lie flat against the walls when not in use (+ slideshow).

British firm Moxon Architects designed the offices for the West Midlands branch of Arts Council England as part of its renovation of an industrial building on the Birmingham Canal.

The tables are located in a multipurpose space on the ground floor that is used for activities including meetings, presentations and dining.

"The storage space available for movable furniture is not great, so it made a lot of sense to cater for everything in one place and simply hoist the tables out of the way," Tim Murray from Moxon Architects told Dezeen.

Staff can raise or lower the tables by pushing a button, with a weight inside the leg keeping it vertical so it docks precisely with a steel base plate on the floor.

Reclaimed timber is used to clad a small meeting room and to create durable panelling throughout the offices that unifies the different spaces.

A meeting room housed in an extension at the rear of the building features a raw concrete ceiling, which the architects said was retained because "the artless beauty of it was too appealing to cover up again."

The architects were responsible for the complete renovation of the building's ground floor, which includes a new entrance, reception and staircases. A further phase will see the creation of offices, archiving and library facilities on the upper levels.

Photography is by Simon Kennedy.

Here's some more information from Moxon Architects:

ACE / Arts Council England - Birmingham

The third project undertaken by the practice for the Arts Council England is the largest so far; entailing two phases split across all three levels of an industrial building on the Birmingham Canal.

Phase 1 of the project is the extensive improvement of the ground floor of the building, comprising both fit out and renovation / restoration works to the listed fabric of the building.

The entire ground floor has been redesigned in order to meet full DDA compliance as well as provide a qualitatively much improved facility.

With a sequence of progressively more public spaces and opportunities for large and small gatherings the ground level is envisaged by the client as being a forum for the Arts Council’s activities in region. As such a number of different design approaches have been brought together into the scheme – for intimate groupings a soft cushioned compartment; an open area for children or informal meetings; and a flexible space for dining, lectures or larger gatherings. In addition formal meeting and lecture rooms have been arranged off a ramped circulation spine, with acoustic separation provided by specialist glazing to maintain visual continuity.

The first phase also includes a new entrance / reception area and the vertical circulation to the upper levels of the building. The proposal makes use of reclaimed timber throughout as a wall cladding and finishing to new joinery, materially tying together the variety of spaces provided.

Client: Arts Council England / West Midlands Regional Office
Stage: Completed 2013