Commercial  ·  Interiors

The workplace of the future is phygital, Zoom’s hybrid London office shows

October 8, 2024

Video communications technology brand Zoom opened a tech-forward office space in London, designed for a dual purpose: to bring the Zoom brand and platforms to life for clients and to accommodate in-person, hybrid and remote teams.

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

Co-created with workplace designer Unispace and design agency Downstream, the 1,670-sq-m office, situated on the sixth floor of MidCity Place, is organised in two main areas: the Experience Centre and Engagement Hub.

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

The Experience Centre offers an immersive brand showcase for clients while the Engagement Hub enables flexible, efficient hybrid work.

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

The Boardroom of the Future seeks to show the product in a realistic context and imagines how technology can enable new workplace scenarios.

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

A floor-to-ceiling seamless curved LED screen and state-of-the-art audio systems exemplify modern meeting technology powered by Zoom.

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

A selection of tech-enabled Zoom-Rooms designed to enhance face-to-face and hybrid meetings are located in the Hybrid Collaboration Zone.

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

The Community Zone is dynamic and adaptable, hosting a lounge, game area, wellness room and multi-purpose space for various events and activations.

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

'Zoom strives to create a platform that delivers limitless human connection,' says Izabella Lorenz, Zoom's global real estate and workplace strategy manager. 'This centre embodies our vision for the next generation of communication and collaboration.'

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

Joining the ranks of other technology companies who are pioneering workplace innovation, Zoom's London office is a workspace that is inherently intertwined with the brand's values towards contemporary work culture.

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

The space effectively services its different target groups, not only creating an engaging, dynamic sales environment to pitch its products to potential clients in realistic scenarios but also dedicating ample space to its employees to accommodate various modes of working.

Photo: Courtesy of Unispace

Location

Design

Brand

Floor Area

71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6EA, UK

Unispace, Downstream

Zoom

1,670 sq-m

Combining digital technology and physical space, Zoom’s new London office accommodates in-person and hybrid work modes alongside an innovative product showcasing area.

KEY FEATURES

Video communications technology brand Zoom opened a tech-forward office space in London, designed for a dual purpose: to bring the Zoom brand and platforms to life for clients and to accommodate in-person, hybrid and remote teams. Co-created with workplace designer Unispace and design agency Downstream, the 1,670-sq-m office, situated on the sixth floor of MidCity Place, is organized in two main areas: the Experience Centre and Engagement Hub. The Experience Centre offers an immersive brand showcase for clients while the Engagement Hub enables flexible, efficient hybrid work. 

Inside the Experience Centre, there are three main activations. The Lens Wall features a 38-m-long fabric wall that displays media and acts as a portal taking visitors through various virtual environments. To present Zoom’s services and technology to current and potential clients, the Discovery Showcase supports a large-scale curved touch LED screen to promote interactivity and ensure a dynamic experience that can be tailored to each presentation. The Boardroom of the Future seeks to show the product in a realistic context and imagines how technology can enable new workplace scenarios. A floor-to-ceiling seamless curved LED screen and state-of-the-art audio systems exemplify modern meeting technology powered by Zoom. 

The bulk of employee-dedicated space is found in the Engagement Hub, and facilitates different modes of working. It is divided into three zones: the Community Zone, Hybrid Collaboration Zone and Focus Zone. The Community Zone is dynamic and adaptable, hosting a lounge, game area, wellness room and multi-purpose space for various events and activations. A selection of tech-enabled Zoom-Rooms designed to enhance face-to-face and hybrid meetings are located in the Hybrid Collaboration Zone. For those looking for privacy and less sensory stimulation, phone rooms, booths and an open workspace with desks are found in the Focus Zone. 

FRAME’S TAKE

‘Zoom strives to create a platform that delivers limitless human connection,’ says Izabella Lorenz, Zoom’s global real estate and workplace strategy manager. ‘This centre embodies our vision for the next generation of communication and collaboration.’ Joining the ranks of other technology companies who are pioneering workplace innovation, Zoom’s London office is a workspace that is inherently intertwined with the brand’s values towards contemporary work culture. As a video communications platform, it uses its physical space to reiterate the importance of in-person connection in creating productive and pleasant working environments, but technology plays a crucial role in this. It proposes solutions to hybrid meetings, by combining physical space with digital technology to create phygital work modalities that meet the needs of in-person and online participants. In showcasing the scope of applications of its product range, Zoom’s London office sets an example of how the physical and digital workplace can combine to optimize the employee experience. 

Additionally, the space effectively services its different target groups, not only creating an engaging, dynamic sales environment to pitch its products to potential clients in realistic scenarios but also dedicating ample space to its employees to accommodate various modes of working.

WORDS KAYLA DOWLING

This article is originally available at www.frameweb.com