First impressions matter. And the bigger the company, the bigger splash its lobby seems to try to make. These are some of the most impressive, coolest, and most creative lobbies at major company headquarters around the world.
The bank’s nearly half-million square-foot new international headquarters is laid out in a folded triple-V structure. Inside, a massive stairwell spirals up to the glass ceiling from the lobby, which contains a café that’s open to the public.
IMAGE: ADAM MØRK
This entrance-atrium was formerly a courtyard, but now contains a café, a bar, and plentiful working areas. Recycled shopping bags and clothing labels decorate the walls of the fashion retailer’s massive HQ.
The cloud-storage startup’s headquarters is classic Silicon Valley chic: Bright colors, big amenities, bold branding, and, of course, a slide.
Retaining some of the building’s original elements, such as the ductwork and exposed beams, keeps it from feeling too over-the-top.
This deserted hangar was converted last year into a new home for the branding and ad firm Open. The lobby has cultivated an eclectic feel through use of funky midcentury furnishings. Plus, many elements are movable.
Now that it’s big—with 250 employees–this international ad agency needed to grow up, while keeping its original scrappy vibe. A floating conference room, visible from the lobby, is just the trick.
This slide is incredible. That is all.
The energetic bursts of yellow counter the chill midcentury vibe at this communications firm’s Australian headquarters. When JWT reconfigured a former wool store downtown, it incorporated not only the company’s zeal, but also its employees’ enthusiasm for bicycling.
Enter the health insurer’s massive office, and you are confronted immediately with its dominant structural feature: a huge ramp and colorful stairs that connect 26 different work zones, allowing employees to roam freely among them.
The ramp and stairwell do more than look magnificent: It is part of the company’s cultural shift toward taking a proactive approach to employees’ well-being, by encouraging them to get up and move about the office.
