Motive creates brand-led headquarters for Ice Services, shortlisted for Office Design of the Year 2026
Shortlisted for Office Design of the Year at the Workspace Design Show Awards 2026, the new London headquarters of music copyright specialists Ice Services has been transformed by award-winning creative consultancy Motive as a brand-led workplace rooted in purpose, culture and collaboration.
Motive is an award-winning creative consultancy specialising in brand-led workplace transformation and immersive spatial storytelling. Founded in 2022 by creative director Rob Venice, Motive works at the intersection of brand, culture and physical space, helping businesses turn their identity into something people can truly experience.
Located at Devonshire Square on the City Fringe, the project builds on an existing fit-out by Hop Interiors and translates Ice Services’ mission — by songwriters, for songwriters — into a tangible, story-led environment designed to support both focus and connection.
Ice Services is known for combining highly complex music copyright technology with a warm, people-first culture and a distinctive sense of humour. While the wider brand was still evolving, the company had a clear understanding of its values, enabling Motive to translate those principles into physical form through narrative, craft and detail.
At the heart of the office is Ice’s Greatest Hits — a bespoke installation created from staff-submitted favourite albums. Reimagined CD covers replace artist names with employee names, and album titles with job roles; celebrating individuality while acting as a shared cultural reference point. Drawing attention to personal favourites from across the team, the installation has become a focal point for conversation and debate throughout the workspace.
Relationships sit at the core of Ice Services’ work, reflected outside the boardroom where key strategic partners are displayed in translucent, ice-like resin blocks. The pieces offer a playful nod to the company’s love of wordplay and its flagship technology platform, Cube, and have become emblematic of the space — with CEO Peter de Mönnink even bringing one into a company-wide meeting as a point of pride.
Bespoke artworks designed by Motive line the hallways, reinforcing Ice’s founding purpose. Inspired by album liner notes and inner record sleeves — the often-overlooked feature where artists reflect on their creative process — the framed works feature b-roll imagery from classic records, with hand-written stories applied directly onto the glass. The approach references the origin of every licensed song: ideas formed with pen in hand before becoming protected data.
Two hand-painted murals frame the open-plan workspace in a monochromatic palette. Undulating wave forms echo audio recordings as they move through platforms and gates, mirroring Ice’s copyright technology where music is translated into data. Subtle references to code are embedded within the artwork — a level of detail that reflects the company’s technical precision.
In quieter working booths, framed artworks created from streaming data visualise Ice’s most-played tracks, translating global listening figures into graphic compositions. Songs by artists including The Weeknd and Ariana Grande become infographics, reflecting Ice Services’ unique multi-regional offering.
Rob Venice, Founder and Creative Director at Motive said:
“Ice’s dedication to honouring the songwriter provided a powerful focus for the bespoke installations. Exploring the relationship between company culture and the birth and journey of a song led to some genuinely inventive ideas. We’re delighted with the outcome and with how seamlessly the artworks integrate into the existing sleek space.”
The result is a workplace that supports Ice Services’ rhythm of work while clearly expressing its purpose, values and culture, using mediums that provoke conversation and unity. Functional yet expressive, the space tells a story of collaboration, creativity and belonging — shaped by the people and music it exists to protect.
Photography: Oliver Pohlmann