By Star Hughes-Gorup
Booking.com’s new Singapore office space is a contemporary garden in the sky – with bright, white, open ceilings, artificial turf flooring, and a living wall. The open ceiling is a key design element. Painted white to brighten the space, with illuminating hanging lights, the ceiling, in a sense, opens the space up to the sky. It’s clean, vibrant, and contemporary.
The artificial turf is a very unique addition – as it is rarely used on the interior of an office – but helps to bring the outdoors in, even in a skyscraper. Living walls have grown increasingly popular too. Plants are proven to help boost employees’ productivity, and living walls are a manageable way to integrate them in an office.
In stark contrast to the light, airy green kitchen and lounge area shown above, this private conference/breakout room is decorated in deep blue and gray with a nighttime theme. Booking.com incorporated a dropped ceiling in this breakout room, which significantly helps with sound insulation, and added in a whimsical chandelier to make the space feel a little less corporate.
Keeping with the design of the greenery and natural elements, Booking.com made great use of frosted glass, mirrors, and sleek hardwood flooring (which can be achieved at a lower cost by using luxury vinyl tile that looks just like wood, but is more durable).
One of my favorite parts of the space is its adorable, classic style lunch counter, clad with an awning, café lights, and bar stools. What a fun place for their team to enjoy meals together!
Bringing the outside in – and making your workspace a happy, positive environment that your team WANTS to spend time in – can have a huge impact on your team’s happiness and productivity. It’s all about being creative, and having a little bit of fun with it. Just look at Booking.com!
