Right on the heels of Apple’s announcement of its new office building in Cupertino, CA is Google’s new London HQ, designed by Penson. Is it just me, or does it look more like a really fancy dorm done up in futuristic 60s mod/pod style? I know Google treats their employees well (or so says my friend in San Francisco who gets a gym membership along with the job), but why is there so much lounge space in this office? If you scroll through the images you’ll see a room with padded, reclining benches and what I can only assume is an update on the bean bag chair – a dorm room staple. This is one of the offices many “informal meeting spots,” but whether it will facilitate a relaxing work environment or just a place to relax remains to be seen.
One of the many features is the ability to ‘draw on the walls,’ which sounds cool in theory, but how many designers sketch out their ideas on a white board in the hallway? I give it two weeks until those boards are covered with dirty jokes and amateur drawings of penises – just like a dorm.
Futhermore, I know there’s no accounting for taste, but how long are those all-white rooms (with smatterings of bright mod colors) going to stay so pristine looking? Scroll through some more pictures. What’s up the club scene decor? Royal blue walls with neon tubing for the meeting rooms? That might have worked in Tron (which they actually homage – see the last pic), but not every adult wants to feel like they’re working on the set of bad movie or in the 80s’ idea of what a space module of the future looks like.
design: Penson
