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Switzerland
By Susan Berger
New York / San Francisco / Hong Kong / London / Tokyo /
Rome / Toronto
Known as “Zooglers”, the employees at Google’s Zurich office were
consulted during the design process to ensure the space met all their needs
while fostering innovation, creativity and collaboration.
In addition to the formal meeting rooms that were scattered throughout the
office, informal areas offered fun alternatives such as igloo cabins with
penguins and original ski gondolas. Individual pods provided privacy for
employees to speak to colleagues elsewhere in the world or just to have
some quiet time. With research showing that relaxation stimulates original
thought, areas were designed around sport and leisure, such as a lounge
with an aquarium, a games room with billiards, table tennis, pinball and
video games, a library and a massage spa. A staffed gym offered yoga,
pilates and fitness classes and there was a concert room, a wine cellar, a
cinema and a Lego room. A jungle lounge contained 100 different plants
and a comfy furry egg to sit in. Scattered throughout the spaces were micro
kitchens offering drinks and snacks all day long, and the cafeteria served
free breakfast, lunch and dinner. “Tech talks” were offered on subjects
including current affairs, entertainment, the arts, science and engineering.
In order to encourage speedy circulation of Zooglers throughout the seven
floors of the office and to inspire them to work with different teams,
employees could slide down fire poles and spiral slides. At 5 PM every day,
Heidi-themed music signalled that it was time for the Zooglers to gather in
the Hürlimann Bar (named after the former brewery located on the site) to
drink beer and relax with other employees.
JoLeeMagazine.com 51
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