Beyond the Cubicle: 20 Crazy and Innovative Offices Around the World
The workplace is evolving. What used to be a sea of grey cubicles is now transforming into vibrant, imaginative spaces where creativity, collaboration, and comfort are prioritised. From whimsical treehouses to cutting-edge technology hubs, companies around the world are redefining what an office should be. These innovative environments aren't just about productivity—they reflect the company’s culture, inspire creativity, and keep employees happy and engaged. Let's take a virtual tour of 20 of the craziest and most inspiring office spaces on the planet.
1. Googleplex (Mountain View, California, USA)
Google's main headquarters, Googleplex, has long been a model for companies wanting to create a more engaging work environment. This tech giant offers an office space that feels more like a playground. Spread across a sprawling campus, Googleplex offers employees access to nap pods, game rooms, and indoor slides that connect various floors.
The focus is on making work enjoyable and stress-free, with workspaces ranging from open collaboration zones to quiet, private spaces for concentrated work. Employees can take breaks by biking through the campus, enjoying the outdoor green spaces, or grabbing a gourmet meal at one of the on-site restaurants.
2. Inventionland (Pittsburgh, USA)
Inventionland’s office space feels like stepping into a storybook. Each area within this 70,000-square-foot office is themed—from pirate ships to castles and treehouses. Employees work in and around these imaginative settings, designed to inspire innovation.
This whimsical office environment complements the company’s mission of invention and creativity, with employees surrounded by vibrant colours, creative meeting rooms, and themed workspaces that cater to collaborative brainstorming and individual productivity.
3. Selgas Cano Architecture Studio (Madrid, Spain)
This architectural studio in Madrid offers a breathtaking contrast between contemporary design and nature. The office itself is a transparent tube embedded into the forest floor, offering employees a tranquil work environment surrounded by nature.
The full-length glass wall immerses the staff in the natural world, creating an inspiring, distraction-free atmosphere. The simplicity of the design and the connection to the surrounding forest make this office a place of quiet reflection and focus.
4. Dropbox HQ (San Francisco, USA)
Dropbox’s office focuses on flexibility and comfort. With no assigned desks, employees can work from different spaces depending on their needs. Whether it’s a quiet corner, an open collaborative area, or the rooftop garden, the headquarters promotes a fluid and dynamic work experience.
Designed to foster creativity, the Dropbox HQ features bright and colourful interiors, a music studio, and multiple breakout areas where employees can relax or collaborate informally. The entire office is built to enhance employee well-being and productivity.
5. Lego Office (Billund, Denmark)
If any office space embodies the company’s brand, it’s Lego’s headquarters in Denmark. From vibrant primary colours to playful design elements, the Lego office is built around creativity and collaboration.
Employees can take breaks in build zones, where thousands of Lego bricks are available for creating fun, impromptu designs. Open workspaces encourage collaboration, while meeting rooms take on a playful tone with Lego-themed décor. The office is designed to inspire employees to think outside the box, or, in this case, the brick.
6. Zynga HQ (San Francisco, USA)
The Zynga headquarters feels more like a gaming arcade than a traditional office. Known for its casual games, the company has brought that same playful spirit into its workspace. From video game lounges and arcade machines to indoor basketball courts, Zynga’s offices are designed to foster both productivity and play.
Employees can take gaming breaks, brainstorm in colourful meeting rooms, or even join a casual basketball game during their workday. Zynga’s vibrant and dynamic office space helps keep employees engaged and inspired.
7. Pallotta TeamWorks (Los Angeles, USA)
Pallotta TeamWorks is a masterclass in creating a unique, budget-conscious workspace. Their office is built out of shipping containers housed in a large warehouse, with inflatable walls used to create private meeting spaces. This creative use of materials demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainable design.
The industrial look of the shipping containers, juxtaposed with the bright, playful colours of the inflatable walls, makes for a strikingly unconventional office environment. This eco-friendly, low-cost design is an example of how imagination can transform even the most basic of materials.
8. Facebook HQ (Menlo Park, USA)
Facebook’s massive Menlo Park campus is a haven for creativity and collaboration. With wall murals designed by local artists, on-site cafés, and a rooftop garden, the office feels like a creative hub. There’s even an on-site barbershop, where employees can pop in for a trim.
Break areas come equipped with board games and video game consoles, while the office also hosts regular events like food truck fairs. Facebook’s office is designed to promote both productivity and employee well-being, offering spaces for relaxation, creativity, and social interaction.
9. Airbnb (San Francisco, USA)
Airbnb’s headquarters is a perfect reflection of its brand: all about hospitality and comfort. The office features design elements inspired by listings on their platform, including recreations of actual rooms from Airbnb homes around the world.
Meeting rooms look like cosy living rooms, kitchens are designed to encourage communal eating, and even the desks are set up in a way that feels homely. Airbnb’s office fosters a warm, inviting environment that promotes collaboration and creativity.
10. White Mountain Office (Stockholm, Sweden)
Located 100 feet underground in a former nuclear bunker, the White Mountain Office is one of the world’s most secure and intriguing workspaces. Owned by Swedish internet provider Bahnhof, this data centre office features dramatic lighting, exposed rock walls, and a futuristic design straight out of a sci-fi movie.
While the space is mainly functional, with data centres at its core, it also includes modern workstations and meeting areas surrounded by raw, industrial architecture.
11. Red Bull Office (London, UK)
Red Bull’s London headquarters embodies the company's energetic and dynamic brand. The office design focuses on promoting activity and collaboration, with features like slides and ramps that connect different floors, encouraging movement and interaction.
Sleek, modern interiors with open spaces allow employees to work in a more informal, creative environment. Meeting rooms are suspended on different levels, and breakout areas are designed to resemble lounges rather than typical workstations. Every element of the office encourages spontaneous idea-sharing and innovation.
12. Corus Quay (Toronto, Canada)
Corus Quay is home to one of the most creative workspaces in Canada, complete with an indoor slide and a five-storey atrium. Designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and fun, this office offers numerous amenities to keep employees engaged.
In addition to the slide, the office features collaborative meeting spaces, media rooms, and an open-concept design that encourages employee interaction across all levels. Corus Quay’s vibrant and colourful interior design further enhances the creative energy of the space.
13. Pixar Animation Studios (Emeryville, California, USA)
Pixar Animation Studios has created an office environment that mirrors the creativity and imagination seen in its films. The campus is designed to encourage spontaneous collaboration among employees, with central areas like cafés, lounges, and courtyards that allow for casual, creative conversations.
The office features whimsical art, characters from Pixar films, and themed meeting rooms, all of which contribute to a playful and inspiring atmosphere. Pixar’s focus on collaboration is at the heart of the workspace design, making it one of the most innovative office environments in the world.
14. Shoe Carnival (Evansville, Indiana, USA)
Shoe Carnival’s headquarters is designed with a playful retail theme, where the central feature is a massive Ferris wheel placed right in the middle of the office. This unique structure not only serves as an eye-catching design element but also reinforces the company’s fun and approachable brand identity.
The office includes open-concept workspaces, comfortable lounges, and even areas where employees can try on the company’s latest footwear offerings.
15. Mindvalley (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Mindvalley, a global learning company, has created one of the most futuristic and wellness-focused office environments in the world. The design includes a meditation room, a jungle-themed area complete with real plants, and pods where employees can work in isolation or in small groups.
With an emphasis on personal growth and employee well-being, Mindvalley’s office design promotes a balance between relaxation and productivity. The office’s futuristic, Zen-inspired aesthetic makes it a space that encourages creativity and mindfulness.
16. Gummo (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Gummo’s office in Amsterdam is a model of sustainability and creativity. The entire workspace was built using recycled and repurposed materials, from furniture to décor.
The minimalist, monochrome aesthetic gives the office a modern yet eco-friendly vibe. Gummo’s office is a perfect example of how sustainability can go hand-in-hand with innovative design. The workspace is open, collaborative, and energy-efficient, with an emphasis on reducing waste and environmental impact.
17. The Barbarian Group (New York, USA)
The Barbarian Group’s office is famous for its “Superdesk,” a 4,400-square-foot, undulating desk that weaves through the open-plan workspace. This single, continuous desk allows employees to sit together, fostering collaboration and communication across the entire team.
The desk design itself is an architectural marvel, featuring flowing curves and integrated workspaces. The open nature of the office, combined with the unique desk, creates a dynamic work environment where employees are constantly engaged with one another.
18. Pons and Huot Offices (Paris, France)
Designed by French architect Christian Pottgiesser, the Pons and Huot office is located in a historic building in Paris. What makes this office stand out is its use of massive glass domes that cover individual workstations.
These clear pods provide privacy without isolating employees from one another, maintaining a sense of openness while allowing for personal space. The office’s lush indoor garden further adds to its tranquil, airy atmosphere, making it feel like a greenhouse as much as a workspace.
19. Microsoft Vienna (Vienna, Austria)
Microsoft’s Vienna office is designed to promote employee well-being, with an emphasis on open, flexible spaces and bright, natural light. The office features modular furniture, adjustable workstations, and even areas where employees can take a break in hammocks.
The design is meant to cater to various work styles, with spaces that support both individual focus and team collaboration. Bright colours and contemporary décor create a lively, engaging environment, while technology integration throughout the space ensures productivity is always top of mind.
20. Pionen White Mountain (Stockholm, Sweden)
Pionen, a data centre located deep within the bedrock of Stockholm, is not only one of the most secure offices in the world but also one of the most visually stunning. Situated 100 feet below ground in a former nuclear bunker, the office boasts sleek, futuristic interiors.
The raw rock walls and dramatic lighting give the space a sci-fi vibe, while the minimalistic furniture and technology-driven design ensure functionality. It’s a workplace unlike any other, offering a mix of natural elements and cutting-edge tech.
From offices nestled in forests to those built inside nuclear bunkers, these incredible workspaces showcase how creativity and innovation can shape the places where we work. These 20 offices push the boundaries of traditional office design, creating environments that inspire, energise, and engage employees in unique ways. Which of these remarkable spaces would you want to work in?
