Knowledge spaces of financial markets

Trading rooms as distinctive workspaces are hardly known, but they have become central for many trading activities in the financial industry today. They represent a main ’knowledge space’ in the age of global financial markets. Electronic systems connect traders worldwide and enable efficient communication in real-time. This development has attracted many traders to move from floor operation to electronic trading creating a new type of trading space. Pe-Ru Tsen explores the architecture and organization of trading rooms analyzing the key performance aspects for these technology-intensive workspaces. She gives an overview from historical to modern development and examines different typologies of contemporary trading rooms. Taking an interdisciplinary perspective she focuses on the spatial design, trading communication and corporate culture in trading rooms today and discusses design considerations for the future. The work aims at a better understanding of the specific drivers and dynamics in the design of trading rooms contributing to an effective and inspiring work environment for the trading business.