TripAdvisor employees in Singapore go on holiday every time they report for work.

Their new 16,000 square feet office, located in the PricewaterhouseCoopers building in Cross Street, draws inspiration from the company’s core service – to connect travellers from all over the world, enabling them to plan the perfect trip.

“The world is one big playground [and] we wanted to emulate a fun environment, [much like] a travel experience, in the office, considering the travel and leisure scope of [our client’s] business and industry. As a result, employees go to work as if they’re on a trip every day, revitalised and renewed to tackle their work,” explains Maggie Yeo, Associate Director of Kyoob-id, the firm responsible for this interior design and build project.

The interior is an eclectic blend of materials, furnishing, and colours – light oak and accents of bright hues – are utilised to signify diverse travel experiences.

TripAdvisor’s branding pervades throughout the interiors. At the reception, dynamic strips of light-oak timber form a frame to mimic a larger-than-life birdcage. At its centre, the company’s owl logo is reconstructed in 3D veneer finish and cast in glass so one can look into the adjacent meeting rooms.

Staying to theme, the reception table is styled with feathered layers and with concealed lights peeking out.

The spatial plan of the office takes into consideration natural light for all staff with workstations positioned near the windows and resource areas at the central core. To encourage flexibility and staff movement, employees can choose to work standing up or sitting down using the height-adjustable desks from Technigroup.

Tiwe Tan, Kyoob-id’s Senior Designer, says, “In keeping with the travel [theme], road directional signages are planted along passageways as wayfinding to various departments and resource areas. Pillars are also erected with warm-lit lamp posts to conjure up walks [in] Hyde Park.”

Other fun design elements also find their way in: blue framed chicken wire, for instance, serves as a screen divider between departments, while red phone booths are set across the office for smaller discussions.

In the pantry, a world map collage reminiscent of a travel scrapbook is emblazoned on the wall. Here, staff can relax and enjoy a meal, or engage in informal discussions.

Kyoob-id
kyoob.com.sg