ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

LinkedIn took over a 26-story San Francisco skyscraper, and it's unlike anything else we've seen

LinkedIn has one of the coolest offices in tech, with a Silent Disco, music room, and spa.

null

In the ever-competitive tech landscape, a tricked-out office can be key for attracting talent.

LinkedIn has it covered. The professional social network, which Microsoft snapped up for a whopping $26.2 billion in 2016, leases a new 26-story skyscraper in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood. It has art installations on every floor, a massage room, a band room, a rooftop patio, and sweeping city views.

Business Insider got the chance to tour the offices at

San Franciscans might pass the LinkedIn skyscraper on their commute and not think much of it. Formed from two cubes of gray glass, the tower is a bit boring from the outside.

ADVERTISEMENT

Walk inside and the lobby will transport you to a modern art museum.

The ground floor has dozens of chairs gathered around long wooden tables, three pieces of Frank Stella artwork, and a trendy Equator Coffee bar. It's a public space, open to anybody.

Visitors use tablets to sign in at the reception desk.

But you'll need to an employee's badge to access the coolest amenities on site, like the gym. Instructors hold classes throughout the day, so workers can fit in exercise whenever.

The fitness center includes a small spa, where employees can book a massage.

ADVERTISEMENT

An on-site cafeteria is another nice perk (though not uncommon for big tech companies).

The menu rotates daily, but employees can always find salad, sandwiches, stir fry, and a dessert. These lemon tarts made in-house looked spiffy and tasted delicious.

There are also three varieties of kombucha on tap.

Plenty of employees take their breakfast, lunch, or dinner onto a patio on the 17th floor.

It offers breathtaking views. (That's Salesforce's $1 billion skyscraper going up in the background. It will be the tallest building in San Francisco upon completion in 2017.)

ADVERTISEMENT

Employees rock out in the music room, though you wouldn't know it from the next room. They plug their instruments into a system that plays their music through headphones.

The company has a robust music program. Employees give lessons on piano, guitar, and drums, while employee-led bands play corporate events.

A hallway on the second floor offers a reminder that work isn't everything.

But the letters become unrecognizable as you move down the hall.

LinkedIn brought several offices formerly spread across San Francisco into this building. It's home to thousands of employees who run the gamut from engineering to customer support.

ADVERTISEMENT

The new office brings together employees who might otherwise never meet — if only for an elevator ride. LinkedIn leases all 26 floors, but only occupies 18 of them.

In April, the company released plans to develop a new headquarters in Mountain View, California. LinkedIn bought the large swath of land from Google in 2015.

Each floor has a theme inspired by San Francisco, including movies filmed in the city, landmarks, neighborhoods, and famous dwellers. The conference rooms are named accordingly.

The conference rooms are as tech-savvy as the people who occupy them. Employees can reserve the rooms online or check availability on the tablet affixed to every door.

Most floors are organized by team, based on the products they work on.

ADVERTISEMENT

Food is never far. There are kitchenettes stocked with fresh fruit on every floor.

This fancy espresso machine beats the Keurig found in most offices.

Each floor has something called a "staff wall" that encourages employees to interact with one another via the installation. This one lets them fill in words like Mad Libs.

This map on another floor invites employees to share where they have traveled.

At the Silent Disco, employees can choose a song from the music library, slip on headphones, and groove together without disrupting the whole office.

ADVERTISEMENT

A lending library offers up books that anyone can borrow.

A wall inspired by the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books challenges employees to make their way through a complicated maze. It's a little dizzying to do.

This wall just dispenses fortune cookies.

It seems there's something fun to do around every corner.

It's unknown how much LinkedIn shells out for all 450,000 square feet of office space in the building. Salesforce will pay $560 million to lease 30 floors in a skyscraper down the street.

ADVERTISEMENT

Source:

It's one over-the-top place to go to work.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT