AOL, the company that now owns the world's biggest tech blog, gadget blog and political blog, revealed its new headquarters in Palo Alto, California. After putting Studio O+A (the same folks who redid Facebook's headquarters) in charge, AOL's new look is a conglomeration of the 1980's corporate world vibe, raw concepts and materials, with a modern touch.
An important theme Studio O+A brought to the design was "transparency"--ceilings and walls were stripped down to expose their bases and original materials and structures. This was perhaps done on purpose to mimic AOL's business style of transparency.
AOL's new logo is a simple, white font that appears here and there throughout the office.
O+A wanted to nurture "collaborative space," so many spaces within the floor plan are designed such as these booths, to encourage collegiality, creativity, group brainstorming, and spontaneous ideas!
The traditional drop ceilings and cubicles were still incorporated as part of the design.
This space is called "The Town Hall" and encourages employee collaboration by combining the kitchen, play space, and relaxation areas in one. It is centrally located to bring together employees from various departments that would not otherwise meet.
