Google Campus – Tel Aviv Offices
Setter Architects have designed the new Google Campus space in Tel Aviv.
Campus Tel Aviv is a hub for entrepreneurs and developers located in the heart of the startup nation. It offers a space for developers and entrepreneurs to attend and organize events with speakers, mentors and other entrepreneurs; a “hack space” and device library to develop and test new ideas; and “Google Launchpad”, boot camp for early stage start-ups
The campus runs free activities and events for start-up developers who have direct access to Google staff and other industry experts. Also provided is a lab for mobile devices where application developers can test how their apps work on various devices.
When planning the campus, the basic design assumptions were to create a space that maintains the qualities of the campus as a platform for companies just starting out; trying to recycle as much existing equipment as possible – lighting fixtures, furniture and so on – from the previous project; and taking a green approach, an aspect of the LEED Platinum Standard that Google’s Tel Aviv offices comply with. And at the same time, the objective was to design a new space, different from the previous one, a welcoming place for visitors to the Google campus.
The main reception space is adjacent to the open-space work area. A gray-toned curtain screen, composed of several sections linked in a huge arc, allows spaces to be separated and connected. Moving the screen enlarges the entrance area when needed, while the folding tables in the work area allow large-scale gatherings. Tremendous flexibility is achieved by quite simple means.
Design inspiration came from the first computer games – Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Tetris. The black, gray, and white color scale in the campus contrasts with the colorfulness prevailing in the company’s offices – underscoring the campus’s uniqueness. Computer games are echoed in the design of the black and white kitchen, integrated with matching graphics, plus touches of yellow in a dialogue with the Pac-Man on the cladding of a nearby wall.
Behind the reception counter, visitors are greeted by the “Hello World” code that launches Google for programmers. The counter itself was designed as three wooden logs, that seem randomly piled up, allowing reception staff to sit at a desktop with a view of the entrance as well as the work area. Near the coffee corner, a section of the counter serves as a bar for refreshments.
Design: Setter Architects
Project Designer: Bella Ventura
Photography: Itai Sikolski
