Publicis Groupe Offices – San Francisco
Blitz was tasked to design the offices for communications giant, Publicis Groupe, located in San Francisco, California.
For the San Francisco offices of Publicis Groupe, Blitz employed its new workplace design approach to create a space that promotes a culture of connection, inclusivity, and agility. The offices were designed with the aim to colocate and consolidate the firm’s 11 national and international brands in San Francisco, which employ 550 people previously spread across 120,000 square feet in multiple locations. The result is a dynamic and energetic workspace that reflects the Groupe’s mantra, the Power of One, which served as the key driver for the decision to move all brand agencies under one roof.
Expanding upon the principles of activity‐based workplace design, Blitz provided agile spaces for teams and individuals, while acknowledging the needs of a new mobile workforce. Diverse workstations empower team members to be more effective and engaged than at a traditional assigned desk. Flexible spaces, both open and enclosed, seamlessly integrate access to data, AV, and video conferencing to support a variety of activities throughout the day and encourage crosspollination among brands.
Each floor was conceived to create visual connections to the cityscape, as well as establish intimate links among work stations. Main reception on the 19th floor (top floor of the building) is at the end of a short journey from the elevators through a corridor with a raw concrete wall on one side, and a dichroic glass wall with colorful abstractions of the company’s logo on the other. The open space introduces several recurring concepts: retail‐like storefronts, brand signage, rustic wood flooring, exposed building systems painted white for light reflection, and expressive geometric lighting. “Boulevards” lined with plants and custom curved seating extend from the lobbies to work areas. Corresponding undulating soffits are painted a dark gray and lead to colorful branded “portals” that frame work zones dedicated to the different brands under the Publicis umbrella. While the three floors are unified by a palette of neutral, industrial, and authentic materials—such as wood, glass, and concrete—each brand is distinguished by environmental graphics, signage, colors, and materials that Blitz tailored to reflect the distinct identities.
Workspaces are organized as a series of neighborhoods and feature a variety of configurations. Options include desks for individual work in enclosed offices, phone rooms and privacy pods, and collaborative settings, such as conference rooms and break‐out spaces. In addition to these options, each brand is afforded dedicated project rooms designed to support client deliverables. Outfitted for optimal idea generation, some of these spaces contain lounge‐like seating arrangements while others refer to traditional conference room or a studio set ups with pin‐up surfaces, marker boards (sometimes as a desktop), and video screens. Open collaboration zones and corner window lounges feature informal, comfortable soft seating to engender easy communication in a casual atmosphere. Concentrated workstation areas include communal tables at a variety of heights to create differing arrangements across the space, establishing visual interest and activity.
Throughout the office, immersive, playful experiences encourage discoveries and drive movement across and between the three floors. The 19th‐floor window‐lined pantry sparkles with gold wall tiles and decorative pendant fixtures set against a black‐and‐white boldly patterned floor. Ever‐important cold‐brew coffee, along with wine and beer, is available on tap—a specific client request. A speakeasy‐style bar on the 18th floor has a cozier feeling; the floor also features a lounge area with special hanging “nest” chairs, as well as an IT bar with timeline display of vintage Mac computers. The 17th‐floor pantry has both counter and banquette seating, while a colorful collaboration zone offers flexible seating arrangements with small square poufs that may be stored in open shelves when not in use. Genderneutral lavatories, mothers’ rooms, and colorful rainbow graphics adorning the glass walls of common corridors uphold Publicis Groupe’s commitment to inclusivity.
Design: Blitz
Contractor: DPR Construction
Photography: Eric Laignel
