Jo Lee Magazine - Luxury Edition 2020

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Egypt
Trend Micro
By Susan Berger
New York / San Francisco / Hong Kong / London / Tokyo /
Rome / Toronto
Considered part office and part cultural experience, cybersecurity company
Trend Micro’s office in Cairo was a showcase for ancient Egypt, surpassing
some museums. Located in the American University in Cairo, it was both a
working office and a training center for recent university graduates.
The office was designed to create a story linking the past to the future,
opening up the opportunity for staff and visitors to experience the journey.
An accredited Egyptologist worked alongside a cyber security professional
to show modern day security as well as how methods to reach the same
goals were achieved in ancient Egypt. Similarities included encryption,
passwords, firewalls and mazes.
The pharaonic culture is reflected everywhere in the design, including the
use of titled doors like those in ancient temples. A cyber security museum is
located in the basement which exhibits various methods of protecting
knowledge in ancient Egypt as well as items such as wall claddings and
accessories with carved writings on marble. Through the use of broken
lines, glass and mirrors, sunlight has been enhanced and mathematically
calculated reflections and angles provide visibility from everywhere within
the office to create a sense of a larger space, losing any sense of boundaries,
and a glass bridge provides an expansive view of the whole office. It also
brings the landscape inside to allow people to feel close to nature, including
allowing the water for the irrigation system to be heard. Fascinatingly, the
office exhibits methods of real physical protection against thieves 5000 years
ago alongside today’s virtual protection from hackers and cyber threats.
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