8 a.m. in London’s financial district—the golden morning light reflected softly off the office tower’s glass curtain walls. As Executive Manager Evelyn pushed open the glass door to the open-plan office, she heard a surprised gasp behind her. Tom from Marketing had nearly spilled his coffee onto his briefcase, eyes fixed in astonishment on the center of the workspace.

Where there was once an empty atrium now stood a nearly three-meter-tall artificial banyan tree. Its grayish-brown trunk rose powerfully, while dense foliage layered upon itself, filtering the morning sun into dappled light.

“This is… the renovation project you mentioned last week?” Tom asked, stepping forward, his leather shoes crossing over light and shadow.

Evelyn smiled, adjusting the collar of her shirt. “A customized artificial banyan tree for office use. The installation team worked late into the night to finish it.” She gently brushed an oval-shaped leaf—her fingertips met the smooth, slightly warm texture unique to realistic artificial foliage.

The sun climbed higher, casting dancing shadows across the white desks through the banyan branches. Designer Lina, clutching a sketchpad, paused in her tracks. “This light is incredible!” she whispered, moving closer to the trunk and inspecting the bark’s lifelike cracks and mossy textures.

The office’s open-plan layout followed a classic Scandinavian minimalist style, but the arrival of this decorative indoor artificial tree softened the stark lines instantly.

Evelyn walked a slow circle around it. “The trunk is made of high-density polyethylene, which has excellent load-bearing capacity. See these outward-reaching branches? Each can hold the weight of an adult.” She pointed at a cluster of new leaves. “We chose ones with gradient shading—bright green at the top, deep emerald at the base.”

At noon, sunlight streamed through the curtain wall. Lina noticed subtle color shifts on the leaves from different angles. “Even the leaf veins are so naturally arranged,” she said, lifting her phone to take a close-up shot.

Megan, the executive assistant, rolled by with the cleaning cart. “The best part? It doesn’t shed leaves! A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth and it’s clean.” She gently tugged on an aerial root. “The material’s so soft—feels like silk.”

At the Wednesday department meeting, Rajeev, newly transferred from the Singapore branch, glanced out the window at the banyan’s silhouette. “Is that a real banyan tree?”

Evelyn switched on the projector. “It’s an artificial banyan tree. We considered live ones, but a horticulturist said the building’s ventilation would dehydrate them. This version solves everything—it stays vibrant from -10°C to 40°C.”

Tom knocked on the table. “During yesterday’s video call, the client’s CEO asked if we’d moved into an eco-office building.”

Later, when Megan brought in the afternoon tea, she added excitedly, “I tested the acoustics! With the tree here, sound is noticeably softer—the leaves absorb some of the waves.”

Rajeev reached out to touch the faux moss on the trunk. “The texture feels so real.” Evelyn offered him a cookie with a smile. “Another reason we chose an artificial indoor tree—no maintenance. No watering, no pruning, no fertilizer.”

On Thursday afternoon, a cold rain fell. Passing by the banyan, Evelyn saw Rajeev seated under it on a lounge chair, speaking softly into his phone.

“Yes,” he was saying, “there’s a huge banyan tree in our office…”

After he hung up, he gave her an embarrassed grin. “Honestly, on a gray day like this, seeing all that green feels way better than staring at a white wall.”

That evening, as she stayed late at her desk, Lina moved her workstation under the banyan tree. “Working overtime used to feel so draining,” she said, spinning her drawing pen, “but surrounded by all this greenery, I’m actually more productive.”

On Friday morning, Megan hung small lanterns from the tree’s branches. “We’ve got new hires starting next week. Imagine filming their welcome video with the banyan tree as a backdrop. Oh, and the anti-slip base on this artificial tree planter is great.”

At lunch, colleagues gathered beneath the tree, chatting and eating. “Reminds me of a café in Bali,” Tom said between bites of sandwich.

In the following week’s office strategy meeting, Evelyn introduced a new idea:
“We should install artificial banyan trees in other branches. The Madrid office has an even larger open space than ours.”

Lina immediately pulled up her design drafts. “The supplier said they can customize the size. They also offer smaller artificial banyan tree planters.”

Tom flipped through a client feedback form. “Three major clients we hosted last week all mentioned the tree during their presentations.”

Megan did a quick calculation with the budget report. “It’s so much more cost-effective than a real tree! What we used to spend annually on plant maintenance could buy three of these. And this one comes with a five-year warranty.” She pointed to the trunk’s tag. “Food-grade material certified.”

On Wednesday afternoon, a photographer from HQ arrived to capture the workspace. As the lens peeked through the branches of the artificial banyan tree, framing employees as they worked, even the photographer gasped, “This looks so natural.”

By month’s end, the staff satisfaction survey hit a record high in the “work environment” category. Evelyn pinned the printed report to the bulletin board.
“Who would’ve thought a single artificial banyan tree could bring such change,” she said to passing coworkers.

Rajeev arrived carrying a parcel—inside were banyan-themed decorations sent by his family in Singapore.

Lina was sketching plans for next quarter’s upgrades. “I’m thinking of adding a shorter one in the creative area, with a few wicker chairs—a little ‘Banyan Inspiration Corner.’”

At sunset, golden light filtered through the tree’s leaves. Evelyn stood beneath the lush artificial canopy, watching her colleagues pack up for the day.

“Remember when we first moved in? Everyone said this place felt like a cold assembly line,” she whispered to Tom.
Tom looked up at the swaying branches. “Just wait till it snows outside this winter—white snow out there, and vibrant green in here.”

As night fell, the artificial banyan tree, bathed in soft warm light, stood like a silent guardian of the workspace.