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Sanjay Gangal
Sanjay Gangal is the President of IBSystems, the parent company of AECCafe.com, MCADCafe, EDACafe.Com, GISCafe.Com, and ShareCG.Com. Slack’s new NYC headquarters in USA by SnøhettaFebruary 23rd, 2017 by Sanjay Gangal
Article source: Snøhetta Slack is the fastest-growing workplace software in the world. With over 6 million active weekly users, the intra-office messaging system is revolutionizing the way teams communicate around the globe. For the startup’s New York City headquarters, Snøhetta retrofitted a 12,000 SF space on the top floor of an 1880’s landmarked building in Lower Manhattan’s NoHo/East Village neighborhood to provide a versatile, sunlight-filled office. The design of each of Slack’s offices around the world aims to integrate elements of their local context, and Snøhetta’s design for Slack’s new NYC space is inspired by the city’s distinctive urban courtyards. Drawing inspiration from interior parkscapes like Paley Park, bamboo plants provide natural privacy screens and energize the space with greenery. Four existing skylights with enlarged, splayed ceilings dramatically increase the incidence of natural daylight deep into the space and the pocket courtyards beneath them.  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm
 Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm The office’s restrained material palette is evocative of an artist’s studio space with hints of color, angled plywood panels and custom light fixtures subtly reference Slack’s brand identity and imagery. The design represents a maturing tech office typology: Employees are encouraged to venture out of the office for coffee and lunch breaks, and integrate themselves into the neighborhood surrounding Astor Place. Further, underpinning Slack’s mission to improve workplace efficiency is its own dedication to the well-being of their employees – an internal motto is “work hard and go home.” At the forefront of the next generation of tech offices, the design of Slack’s NYC headquarters similarly embodies their commitment to improving workplace communication and culture.  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm Upon arrival, employees and visitors pass the reception desk and are welcomed into the social heart of the office, a generous multi-functional ‘all-hands’ space. Stepped wooden bleachers allow users to gather for large, office-wide meetings and presentations, lunch breaks, or informal meetings while sitting under expansive industrial skylights. An adjacent lounge space is lined with plywood benches also to encourage informal social interaction and spontaneous meetings. A corridor connects these social spaces to the work space and meeting rooms where the Engineering and Accounts teams, the two main groups using the space, sit in an open, flexible plan. A wide variety of workspaces and breakout rooms accommodate the diverse demands of Slack’s working environment, including one and two-person telephone booths to provide privacy for calls, as well as for when a more isolated work environment is needed.  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm Acoustics and natural light are critical in achieving a successful and comfortable open office space. The existing skylights were subtly shaped to better fill the space with soft, natural light. Regularly spaced throughout the office, they draw the eye upwards and create varied ceiling heights that suggest the spaciousness of an New York loft. As one travels the length of the space, the alternating rhythm of workspace and interior courtyard allows for breaks and moments of pause.  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm Acoustics are carefully managed to maximize productivity and communication for each team. Wide planes of glass allow visibility and visual connection through the conference rooms, but are acoustically separated. The non-symmetrical geometry of the meeting rooms minimize sound reflection that function dually to provide unexpected seating ledges on the exterior. The phone booths have been treated with bright, absorptive fabric panels that add a pop of color and element of surprise.  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm As a pioneering workplace technology, Slack aims not only to improve efficiency but also to cultivate company culture. By providing a pleasing, simple interface that streamlines workflow and encourages various types of communication, it also strives to help teams build a common sense of company culture. Building on Slack’s aspirations to revolutionize the virtual workplace, the design of its new physical work space promotes the same values. From carefully managed acoustics and plentiful natural light in the workspaces to pockets for informal gatherings and lush, indoor courtyards, Snøhetta’s design allows a variety of social interactions and work styles to flourish.  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm About Snøhetta For over 25 years, Snøhetta has designed some of the world’s most notable public and cultural projects. Snøhetta kick-started its career in 1989 with the competitionwinning entry for the new library of Alexandria, Egypt. This was later followed by the commission for the Norwegian National Opera in Oslo, and the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at the World Trade Center in New York City, among many others. Since its inception, the practice has maintained its original trans-disciplinary approach, integrating architectural, landscape and interior design in all of its projects.  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm Snøhetta is currently working on a number of projects internationally including The French Laundry Kitchen expansion and Garden Renovation in Yountville, California, the Le Monde Headquarters in Paris, the Cornell University Executive Education Center and Hotel in New York, and the design for Norway’s new banknotes which will go into circulation in 2017. Recently completed works include the redesign of the public space in Times Square, the Lascaux IV Caves Museum in Montignac, France, and the expansion to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Among its many recognitions, Snøhetta received the World Architecture Award for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the Aga Kahn Prize for Architecture for the Alexandria Library. Since its completion in 2008, the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet has also garnered the Mies van der Rohe European Union Prize for Architecture and the EDRA (Environmental Design Research Association) Great Places Award, as well as the European Prize for Urban Public Space, The International Architecture Award and The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2010. In 2016, Snøhetta was named the Wall Street Journal’s Architecture Innovator of the Year.  Image Courtesy © Michael Grimm  Image Courtesy © Snøhetta  Image Courtesy © Snøhetta  Image Courtesy © Snøhetta
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