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.
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.
But 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 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.
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.
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.
In April, the company released plans to develop a new headquarters in Mountain View, California. LinkedIn bought the large swath of land from Google in 2015.
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.
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.
At the Silent Disco, employees can choose a song from the music library, slip on headphones, and groove together without disrupting the whole office.
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.
It'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.
Source: Business Insider