Here are some sweet offices (that are not Twitter or Facebook). Which one would you like to work at every day? Hat tip: Jim
White Mountain Office by Albert France Lanord Architects
With a design to make a Bond villain jealous, the White Mountain Office by Albert France Lanord Architects is easily one of the most amazing offices in the world. White Mountain Office is home to a Swedish ISP– 100 feet below the surface of Stockholm. The space was once used as an anti-atomic shelter, intended to provide an escape from atomic blasts and the resulting fallout. In 2008, Albert France-Lanord Architects rehabbed the 4,000 square foot shelter to become the home of Bahnhof AB data center and office. We’ll bet you ONE MILLION DOLLARS that you couldn’t walk through this office without cracking a dated Austin Powers joke.
North Advertising by Skylab Architecture
Amongst the more conservative offices on this list is the home base of North Advertising by Skylab Architecture. The most notable element of this clean, classy work environment is its second level meeting room that juts out over the office floor. It provides a clear view into the work space below, which itself is styled to the nines. An olive-tiled floor spans the full reach of the office, while natural wood paneling provides an accent to the otherwise black and white walls throughout. Skylab’s greatest success here is the subtle use of color to set the mood in a refined business environment.
Bastard Store and Office by Studiometrico
The Bastard Store and design office in Milan, Italy is truly a skateboarder’s dream. It features a street level retail outlet, a balcony design office overlooking the shop and the “Bastard Bowlâ€, a full-size indoor skate park spanning 600 square feet and raised 18 feet above the floor level. The design for the Bastard Store was created by Studiometrico, an Italian architecture firm that selected the location and developed the project from planning to completion. The client, Comvert S.r.l. (parent company of Bastard and ElectricVisual), now owns one of the most amazing offices in the world, a dream work place for any skateboarder.
TBWA Hakuhodo Offices
The TBWA Hakuhodo ad agency wanted their office to communicate something to both its employees and clients: “we think differentlyâ€. TBWA Hakuhodo teamed up with Klein Dytham Architecture to give form to this message, creating one of the most beautiful, playful and relaxing office environments in the world. Klein Dytham selected the location within an amusement complex in downtown Tokyo. Once a bowling alley itself, the office’s building still operates a bowling alley, a golf driving range and other entertainment functions above and below the office. The office itself is just as fun as anything else in the building, a tree and grass-lined environment with warm hardwood floors, indirect lighting and an open space that promotes casual living and community.