A sense of Unity: Scribing Santander's new HQ

Spanning eight floors, complete with an auditorium, street food market and 200m rooftop running track, Unity Place — Santander UK’s new HQ — is nothing short of impressive. What better way to welcome the team to their new home than with a vast, celebratory wall of scribing?

Challenge

In celebration of its grand opening, Santander planned a week of activities to showcase the Milton Keynes campus to its 6,000 employees relocating from other regional offices, as well as the local community who would be using the space.

The aim was to educate employees on what the new space has to offer, capture their imagination as they entered the building, and create a lasting legacy for the launch.

Solution

Our scribes arrived with pen in hand to bring the launch event to life — capturing the essence of the new space on a bespoke 4m by 2.4m freestanding wall. With some of the central imagery pre-planned around Santander’s core values of wellbeing, opportunity and collaboration, all that remained was to hit the wall!

They set up outside the Urban Food Market, inviting employees and visitors to jot down a word on a Post-it note that described Unity Place to them. These words were woven into the design in real time and, as the newest residents of Unity Place watched the scribe unfold, it sparked a real sense of excitement.

Throughout the day, the wall became a focal point in the atrium — and a very social media-friendly photo opportunity, too.

Results

While the artwork reflected the Santander brand through its distinctive red and white colours, care was taken to emphasise the campus’s use by the broader Milton Keynes community and neighbouring businesses.

After the event, the artwork was digitised for use across Santander’s social channels and staff engagement campaigns, helping to support a smooth transition to the new HQ.

Use the blank walls of your office, boardroom or communal spaces to celebrate your past, your present or your future. Take a look at our mural service.