While energetic open-concept offices have their merits, sometimes a secluded spot is required. Incorporating privacy screens – like these by Manerba, Andreu World, Loftwall and others – can create just the right environment for creative collaboration or more detail-focused work. 

After a soft launch in 2020, Illinois-based Arden Studio officially hit the contract market in summer 2021 with the aim to offer design-forward and sustainable writing and dry-erase boards, screens and panels. And the Mobl Panels collection certainly does all three. Standing 190-centimetres tall, the multifunctional movable screens create an effective sense of privacy while supporting dynamic creative sessions, scheduled or spontaneous. 

A robust palette of more than 150 standard colourways is available for the four-millimetre-thick magnetic glass surfaces, as is the ability to custom colour-match or apply graphics and logos for specific interior projects. Furthering the functionality, some versions include integrated 100 per cent post-consumer recycled PET felt panels (in three colourways) that add an acoustic solution to dampen the clutter of bustling work settings. A discrete storage shelf keeps markers, erasers and other tools handy and can be accented in aluminum or wood finishes. 

Constructed from uncomplicated dowel-like elements, the Giunco standing screens have a tactile, hand-crafted aesthetic. Created for Manerba by Milan-based architectural design firm Deamicisarchitetti, the system places the cylindrical ayous wood pieces along a stable metal plate, which is finishes in brass for an elegant contrast (a powder-coated metal tube version is also available, and both materials have the potential to be custom coloured).

Ideal for creating private (or semi-private) corners in offices, waiting rooms, restaurants and other hospitality settings, the undulating screens come in three basic versions – linear, curved and circular – and in two different heights: 168 and 193 centimetres. 

An ideal solution for smaller spaces, the Pivot system by Loftwall utilizes a caster and gear system with near-360-degree rotation that lets it collapse flat when not in use. The integrated mechanism also means the screens – which are arranged with two or three sections, each in two heights (144.4 and 208.2 centimetres) – can easily contract or expand as needed; a four-section version allows for a straight run with a corner. 

The anodized aluminum frames can be finished in silver, matte black or glossy white and the panels themselves can be selected as acoustic fabric (in six colourways), laminate (in 10 finishes), felt (in five colours), acrylic (in five transparencies) and speciality (dry erase, wood slat, pegboard and COM textiles). 

Toronto studio Fig40 was inspired by intrinsic architectural qualities when developing the Still Screens for furniture-maker Stylex – namely proportion, rhythm, materials and light. With three standard heights (121.9, 150 and 177.8 cm) and four widths (38.1, 61, 91.4 and 121.9 cm), the panels can be used individually or layered in groupings – in matching or differing dimensions – to create unique and flowing compositions. 

A veritable rainbow of colourways is offered for the textile-covered portions, which incorporate acoustic insulation to both absorb noise and provide a handy tackable surface, while sections with solid oak or walnut slats introduce opportunities for light- and airflow. The fully upholstered portions are void of visible hardware, giving them a highly tailored look, and can have rounded corners for a softer effect; transitional, corner and end cap components allow for the creation of curved installations and sturdy recyclable steel bases ensure everything stays put. 

Simple but effective, the Lines collection of mobile screens by Andreu World is comprised of thin panels in a variety of materials and sizes that visually divide space without overwhelming or obstructing sightlines. Flexible by design, the system can be used to compose a multitude of configurations, from quiet corners in an open space to safely separated workstations. 

The 10-millimetre-thick panels are offered as desktop and freestanding floor versions in a variety of material and tonal combinations – acrylic in four colours, oak veneer and a textured jacquard fabric in 15 hues – and are supported by aluminum bases in black or anodized silver.