Top 5 Amazing Workspaces

Image by Martinvarsavsky

If the word ‘office’ brings to mind a dull, drab space with fluorescent lighting and squeaky chairs, then the workspaces of these 5 companies are sure to make you think again!

1) Ilse Media

Kicking off our list is Ilse Media, an online publishing company based in the Netherlands. Ilse Media’s office is designed in a retro 8-bit computer style, with pixelated cardboard benches, coat stands, caravans and even a cactus. Head to the cafeteria and you’ll find food printed onto the tables, while the gent’s toilets have pixelated pot plants on display. Despite the actual design of the office being relatively simple, these digital touches transform it into the world’s biggest videogame! 

2) Pixar

Animated film company Pixar have won plenty of Oscars, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve won a few awards for their office too. Their headquarters in Emeryville, California is a work of art in itself and a world away from your typical corporate environment.

The late Steve Jobs pioneered the design of the building as a collaborative hub, where staff from all of the different departments can meet together in the central glass atrium. With film stills on the walls and animated models dotted all around, creativity is never far away.

Rather than traditional offices with office partitions, employees work in beach hut cubicles complete with basketball hoops. In their downtime they can head to the games room to play table football, ping pong or a few arcade games. A true haven for big kids, it’s sure to boost staff morale! 

3) Pallota Teamworks

But if large companies flashing their money around isn’t quite to your taste, then check out this design from charitable organisation Pallota Teamworks. In 2002 the company bought a large warehouse in LA, intending to turn it into a practical office space. But armed with a budget of just $40 per square foot (when a typical project would have cost $80,) they quickly realised that a creative approach was required. The outcome was a shipping container city.

Stacked up to 5 stories high, these shipping containers interlink and their bright colours make for a rather cheery atmosphere. White tents hover over some spaces to maximise the effects of air conditioning, while skylights reduce the need for artificial light. With an indoor pond and tables decorated with maps, this is far from your average day job. 

4) Redbull

Redbull have several amazing offices around the world and each has its own unique design. Their Australian HQ in Sydney has a reception wall built up of around 6000 Red Bull cans and that’s just the entrance! Staff can brainstorm indoors on an astro turf grassy knoll or head up to the rooftop bar once the day is done. At one point they even had an indoor cricket pitch.

Their Santa Monica office has a skate ramp that runs the length of the building, while here in the UK their Soho office features a reception that transforms into a bar in the evenings. With the aim of creating a ‘living room’ atmosphere, their offices are sure to make you feel at home. 

5) Google

It may seem an obvious choice, but Google are one company that could never be left off this list. After all, their Zurich HQ has meeting rooms in the form of chalets and igloos. They’ve clearly never heard of the concept of stairs and instead you can travel via firemen poles and playground slides, which I personally think sounds like a great way of saving time!

But Google’s real masterpiece is the Mountain View Googleplex in California. Travel around by bicycle, bring your dog to work and chill out at the volleyball courts when the day is done. Google receive over 1,000 job applications a day and it’s not hard to see why.

What fun features would you love to have in your office?