With offices like these, going to work every day doesn’t seem like a bad prospect!

15. Red Bull, London

Red Bull’s Soho office is an “open, efficient, dynamic and connected workspace”, as well a clear embodiment of the company’s commitment to adrenalin-infused activities.

The elegant interior has something of a dynamic trait about them, a feature also illustrated by the placing of a slide along the stairway, for an added fluidity in the movement. Another cool feature is a carbon fiber element which meanders along the top floor, connecting the spaces.

 

14. Selgascano, Madrid

One of the most remarkable work spaces in the world is the one designed by Selgascano, a Spanish architecture company.

Located in the woods near Madrid, the structure resembles a tunnel with a 20mm-thick, curved window made of transparent acrylic facing north, while the south-facing half is a 110mm-thick, insulated, fiber-glass and polyester opaque wall. There’s also a hinged opening attached to a weighted pulley mechanism at one end of the building allows varying degrees of natural ventilation.

13. Combinwerk, Delft

Built for a company that helps people with disabilities find work, the headquarters of Combiwerk Delft is as place that puts a lot emphasis on the social aspect of the job – we’re talking, after all, about a social company.

While the building is a dull grey on the outside, the inside is divided into a number of spaces each featuring a different color. While a lively vibe is ensured by the colorful interior, the clear, simple design of the furniture adds a touch of seriousness and respectability (furniture which, by the way, was bought second hand, restored and customized to fit the color scheme).

12. ZBC, Vienna

Vienna-based business communications company ZBC only has a handful of employees, but each day they go to work they take a trip back in time to the 19th century, as their offices are in what used to be a series of ballrooms. The elegant surroundings are more akin to a classy restaurant or club, which is certainly a good thing when you’re going for that business-oriented creative mindset.

11. Red Bull, Amsterdam

Created by the Amsterdam branch of Sid Lee Architecture, a Montreal-based company, Red Bull’s Amsterdam headquarters truly captures the unconventional, youthful spirit of the brand.

Built in an old shipyard, the place is an intriguing mix of industrial and artistic design, with unusual features like images of religious figures singing karaoke in the bathrooms and even a decommissioned Russian submarine.

10. DTAC House, Bangkok

Thai telecommunications company DTAC moved into its new headquarters, called the DTAC House, located in Bangkok’s Chamchuri Square, in 2009.

The 62,200-square-feet of office space, sprawling across 20 floors, accommodate over 3,500 employees. The interior features an abundance of wood and as much natural light as possible, for an elegant mix that ensures makes for a very comfortable work environment.

9. Nike, London

Nike’s London headquarters was recently redesigned to be more in line with the company’s dynamic spirit.

The three floors are divided into ‘zone’, each with a different theme inspired by a Nike product, featuring different color schemes and imagery. The space is also decorated with illustrations of the brand’s products, its history and milestones.

8. Atlassian, San Francisco

Australian software company Atlassian’s American headquarters are in a 42,000-square-foot former warehouse in San Francisco’s East SoMa neighborhood.

What’s most striking about the space is how open it is, in line with the company’s philosophy of always “being open and transparent with its employees, customers and partners.” Due to scale of things, all this apparent chaos doesn’t get too distracting, while the kitchen, dining, and game area are separated from the workspaces altogether.

7. Amazon, Seattle

Amazon’s Headquarters are located right in the heart of Seattle – but if you weren’t told, you could probably walk by and never know it. The main buildings are named Day 1 North and Day 1 South, because the people over at Amazon think the company, along with the opportunities afforded by the internet, are only at the beginning.

The office spaces themselves are just as quirky as you’d expect: very comfortable, featuring recycled materials, as well as plenty of art. There are also lots of facilities for dogs, underscoring the importance dog culture has for Amazon.

6. Nokia, Sunnyvale

Nokia’s offices in Sunnyvale, California are designed to ensure work can get done whenever and wherever inspiration strikes.

Hardly anybody has their own permanent workspace and there are two wellness rooms, each with a shower and napping area. There are also small conference rooms, surrounded by Douglas firs, called saunas (something the Finns are known to have a penchant for), while most vertical surfaces, featuring touchscreens and whiteboards, are designed to be inter­active.

5. Facebook, Menlo Park

After leaving their HQ in Palo Alto, Facebook settled in their new digs at Menlo Park, the former Sun Microsystems campus.

As you might expect (we’re talking about Silicon Valley, after all), the atmosphere around the place is quite casual and work is sometimes undistinguishable from play. Artwork is ever-present and natural light floods the place through the multitude of windows and skylights. There are even treadmill workstations for those who can’t still even while they work.

4. Skype, Stockholm

Designed by Swedish architecture firm PS Arkitektur, Skype’s Stockholm offices offer a casual, but functional work environment.

The lighting fixtures seem to be inspired from the Skype cloud logo, while the overall colorful, but functional design hints at Skype’s usefulness for both casual and business-related communications. The space also comes with high-quality acoustics, a feature necessary for a company which deals with audio transmissions.

3. Google, Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is one of the Middle East’s most important technology and business centers, so it’s only natural Google would set up an HQ there as well.

The offices are spread across seven floors of the Electra Tower, each designed around a different theme (things like Innovation & Hospitality or Humor & Fun). As expected for a company which a lot of stock into innovation and thinking outside the box, the workspaces are not so much desks where people spend hours typing on a keyboard as they are places designed to get the creative juices flowing.

2. Inventionland, Pittsburgh

The only reason this 70,000-square-foot facility in Pittsburgh is actually called a workspace is because of its incredible productivity, with over 2000 inventions being thought up here every year.

The creed at Inventionland is that the best creative work doesn’t come from sitting at your desk, staring at a computer screen, but from playing around with thoughts and ideas. The offices are actually 15 different sets with themes as quirky as pirate ships, race tracks, a castle, or a giant robot.

1. Google, London

The big new IT companies have little reverence for the traditional business culture, something which can be clearly discerned from Google’s London offices. Informal dress code and, knowing Google, the loose work schedule is just part of the deal and the design of the workspaces help a lot as well. There are cozy padded rooms and zany boardrooms which seem to so comfortable and quirky it’s hard to imagine anybody getting any work done in there.

And if even those surroundings are too stifling, there’s the ‘Hedge Your Bets’ secret garden on the roof terrace, offering beautiful views of London in a very green setting.