San Franciscans might pass the LinkedIn skyscraper on their commute and not think much of it. Formed from two cubes of gray glass, the tower is a bit boring from the outside.
Walk inside and the lobby will transport you to a modern art museum.
The ground floor has dozens of chairs gathered around long wooden tables, three pieces of Frank Stella artwork, and a trendy Equator Coffee bar. It's a public space, open to anybody.
Visitors use tablets to sign in at the reception desk.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdBut you'll need to an employee's badge to access the coolest amenities on site, like the gym. Instructors hold classes throughout the day, so workers can fit in exercise whenever.
The fitness center includes a small spa, where massages are free and tips are welcomed.
An on-site cafeteria is another nice perk (though not uncommon for big tech companies).
The menu rotates daily, but employees can always find salad, sandwiches, stir fry, and a dessert. These lemon tarts made in-house looked spiffy and tasted delicious.
There are also three varieties of kombucha on tap.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdPlenty of employees take their breakfast, lunch, or dinner onto a patio on the 18th floor.
It offers breathtaking views. (That's Salesforce's $1 billion skyscraper going up in the background. It will be the tallest building in San Francisco upon completion in 2017.)
Employees rock out in the music room, though you wouldn't know it from the next room. They plug their instruments into a system that plays their music through headphones.
The company has a robust music program. Employees give lessons on piano, guitar, and drums, while employee-led bands play corporate events.
A hallway on the second floor offers a reminder that work isn't everything.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdBut the letters become unrecognizable as you move down the hall.
LinkedIn brought several offices formerly spread across San Francisco into this building. It's home to thousands of employees who run the gamut from engineering to customer support.
The new office brings together employees who might otherwise never meet — if only for an elevator ride. LinkedIn leases all 26 floors, but only occupies 19 of them.
Each floor has a theme inspired by San Francisco, including movies filmed in the city, landmarks, neighborhoods, and famous dwellers. The conference rooms are named accordingly.
The conference rooms are as tech-savvy as the people who occupy them. Employees can reserve the rooms online or check availability on the tablet affixed to every door.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdMost floors are organized by team, based on the products they work on.
Food is never far. There are kitchenettes stocked with fresh fruit on every floor.
This fancy espresso machine beats the Keurig found in most offices.
Each floor has something called a "staff wall" that encourages employees to interact with one another via the installation. This one lets them fill in words like Mad Libs.
This map on another floor invites employees to share where they have traveled.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdAt the Silent Disco, employees can choose a song from the music library, slip on headphones, and groove together without disrupting the whole office.
A lending library offers up books that anyone can borrow.
A wall inspired by the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books challenges employees to make their way through a complicated maze. It's a little dizzying to do.
This wall just dispenses fortune cookies.
It seems there's something fun to do around every corner.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdIt's unknown how much LinkedIn shells out for all 450,000 square feet of office space in the building. Salesforce will pay $560 million to lease 30 floors in a skyscraper down the street.
It's one over-the-top place to go to work.