VKontakte

An industrial warehouse with a touch of kitsch, appropriate for work and play alike. That is how VKontakte, the largest Russian social network in Europe, envisioned their new office space in St. Petersburg. With the relocation came a complete makeover of the company culture.

Gullstén-Inkinen Design & Architecture designed the new offices to be as open as possible. Meeting rooms and common areas invite VKontakte’s employees to come together while silence and privacy can be found in different enclosed spaces and workstations with suspended ceilings and sound-diffusing construction materials. Large carpets absorb the sound of high heels – a fashion staple among the staff. The atmosphere in the offices is light and playful in spite of its dark ceiling and walls. This ambiance was achieved by bringing in colorful art, funky rugs and reflective paint splashes. Highly stylized images of human faces appear on walls as a nod to VKontakte’s core business. In true impressionist fashion, the images appear abstract from up close but become clearer when observed from a distance.