From nuclear bunkers to pirate ships: 5 coolest offices on the planet

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO:

IT COULD BE LAST CALL AT THE WORK-FROM-HOME PARTY. NEW YORK OFFICES OFFICIALLY HIT 50% OCCUPANCY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE PANDEMIC. DON’T WANT TO RETURN TO STALE CUBICLE WALLS? HERE ARE SOME OF THE COOLEST OFFICES ON THE PLANET IN THIS WEEK’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

SWEDISH INTERNET PROVIDER BAHNHOF REPURPOSED A NUCLEAR BUNKER FOR ITS STOCKHOLM-BASED HEADQUARTERS. LOCATED 100 FEET UNDER VITA BERG PARK, IT TOOK TWO YEARS TO HOLLOW OUT THE EXTRA SPACE FOR ITS DATA CENTERS. THE COMPANY’S CEO SAID HE WAS LOOKING FOR A “TECH MEETS GREENERY” VIBE FROM THE 70S SCI FI FILM SILENT RUNNING. BUT THE FLOATING GLASS CONFERENCE ROOM LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A BOND LAIR.

T-MOBILE’S BELLEVUE WASHINGTON HQ LOOKS MORE LIKE A TRENDY NEW NEIGHBORHOOD THAN THE HOME OF THE NATION’S THIRD LARGEST WIRELESS CARRIER. THEY’VE GOT A TON OF OUTDOOR SPACE FOR WORKING WHEN IT’S NOT RAINING, SPOTS TO GRAB A BITE, A COFFEE SHOP AND EVEN A DRY CLEANER, ALL CLAD IN T-MOBILE’S TRADEMARK MAGENTA. OH, CAN’T FORGET THE FROYO-SLINGING REFURBISHED AIRSTREAM.

PITTSBURGH-BASED INCUBATOR INVENTIONLAND KNOWS ITS ARTISTS MIGHT NEED A JOLT OF INSPIRATION. THEY WORK WITH INVENTORS TO DEVELOP AND MARKET PRODUCTS IN A PLAYLAND WITH 16 THEMED AREAS INCLUDING A PET SHACK, PIRATE SHIP AND A CASTLE. THEY ALSO HOST TOURS FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ASPIRING CREATORS EVERY YEAR. THESE DON’T SEEM LIKE SHARK TANK-LEVEL PRODUCTS, BUT THIS MILK SPOUT COULD BE HANDY.

IF YOU’RE GONNA MAKE SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST ICONIC TOYS, YOUR CAMPUS BETTER BE A BLAST. LEGO OFFICIALLY OPENED ITS NEW HQ IN BILLUND, DENMARK, LAST YEAR. THE “PEOPLE HOUSE” ALLOWS BUILDERS TO RELAX AND RECHARGE FEATURING A WORKSHOP, FITNESS STUDIO AND EVEN A LEGO HOMESTAY FOR VISITING EMPLOYEES. THEY FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY TOO, IN FACT, ALL OF THE OUTDOOR FURNITURE IS MADE FROM RECYCLED LEGO BRICKS. THE VIBE MUST BE WORKING, LEGO INCREASED REVENUE BY 17% IN LAST YEAR AND THEY’RE A HECK OF AN INVESTMENT.

AT BARK’S COLUMBUS-AREA PAWFICES, EVERY DAY IS BRING YOUR DOG TO WORK DAY. WITH THE PET TOY MARKET EXPECTED TO NEARLY DOUBLE BY 2032, THE BARKBOX MAKER WILL NEED THE SPACE. THE OFFICE HAS A WORK-AND-PLAY LOUNGE WITH RAMPS TO RUN ON, THE ‘AMENITY BARS’ HAVE CUTE LITTLE NOOKS WHERE YOU CAN CURL UP WITH YOUR PAL, AND YOU KNOW THEY’VE GOT ALL THE TOYS THEY CAN HANDLE. DON’T WORRY, EVERYTHING IS MADE OF DURABLE, DOG-FRIENDLY MATERIALS.

HONORABLE MENTION GOES TO A MISSOURI PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY, WHERE EMPLOYEES DON’T WORK FROM THEIR HOME OFFICE BUT THEY DO WORK FROM A TINY HOME OFFICE, SPECIALLY CURATED TO EACH WORKER’S TASTES. THAT’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY. I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO. IT’S JUST BUSINESS.