Great Offices: Google’s envy-inducing home base at Bay and Richmond
Great Offices: Google’s envy-inducing home base at Bay and Richmond
By Frances McInnis | April 5, 2013
By Frances McInnis | 04/05/2013
By Frances McInnis | Photography by Derek Shapton
What: Google’s Canadian sales and marketing headquarters
Where: A 1955 modernist building at Bay and Richmond
How Big: 58,000 square feet over five floors for a staff of 150
When Google began planning its Toronto office, management asked their staff what their dream work space would look like. Which explains the mini-golf course on the 15th-floor terrace, the soundproofed room full of musical instruments and the retro arcade games scattered around the office (Pac-Man, Duck Hunt and others). Anyone who needs a quiet place to write or think can retire to the hidden lounge behind the library—pull the right leather-bound volume and the bookcase magically pivots open, Scooby-Doo style. But the staff favourites are the on-site gym with free towel service and regular visits from a massage therapist.
203047 Visitors sign in on a computer that spits out a name tag in seconds. The television screens flash current Google searches from around the world (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-17-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-17.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-17.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-17/ great-office-spaces-google-17 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203048 The reception area also has an arcade-sized Google Maps console (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-18-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-18.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-18.jpg 416 656 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-18/ great-office-spaces-google-18 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203049 Each floor has a themed micro-kitchen: the Ice Shanty, for snow cones and Popsicles; the Candy Cabin, for junk food or a sugar fix; and the Healthy Hut, shown here, for smoothies (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-intro/ great-office-spaces-google-intro 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203038 Seating in one of the micro-kitchens (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-08.jpg 416 656 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-08/ great-office-spaces-google-08 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203030 For a campy Canadiana touch, there are meeting rooms named after local icons (Sam the Record Man, High Park, the AGO), plus this meeting room in a tent (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-03.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-03/ great-office-spaces-google-03 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203028 The office is flush with kitschy meeting rooms and common areas, like this faux-grass parkette, to encourage staff to get away from their desks. (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-02.jpg 416 656 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-02/ great-office-spaces-google-02 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203040 Push the correct book and the shelves in the library swing aside to reveal a secret lounge (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-10.jpg 416 523 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-10/ great-office-spaces-google-10 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203041 (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-11.jpg 416 523 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-11/ great-office-spaces-google-11 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203045 A recent employee Ping-Pong tournament was live-streamed internally so players could size up their next opponent (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-15-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-15.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-15.jpg 416 656 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-15/ great-office-spaces-google-15 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203046 The in-house Tech Stop provides immediate help to anyone stymied by a computer glitch (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-16-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-16.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-16.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-16/ great-office-spaces-google-16 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203035 Unusual design details, like the lamp cut-outs in the Tech Stop, are everywhere, the idea being that such oddities make people think differently (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-06.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-06/ great-office-spaces-google-06 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203033 Google likes to make sure its staff are never more than 150 metres from food. The main kitchen serves up a free hot breakfast and lunch every day (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-04.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-04/ great-office-spaces-google-04 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203034 Most of the furniture in the common areas is movable, to optimize the space for sitting, talking or presenting. The glass garage door, pictured closed, can also open (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-05.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-05/ great-office-spaces-google-05 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203039 A custom art piece made of Rubik’s cubes by Toronto’s Cube Works Studio (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-09.jpg 416 656 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-09/ great-office-spaces-google-09 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203037 Guests at the office’s opening party were handed felt-tip markers to colour in the Toronto mural, drawn by artists from the St. James Town project UforChange (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-07.jpg 416 656 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-07/ great-office-spaces-google-07 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203042 The wall outside the soundproofed music studio is adorned with vintage record covers—exclusively by Canadian artists (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-12.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-12/ great-office-spaces-google-12 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
203043 Another space for relaxation has built-in turntables (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Office Spaces: Google Great Office Spaces: Google https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/great-office-spaces-google-13.jpg 416 656 [] https://torontolife.com/city/great-office-spaces-google/slide/great-office-spaces-google-13/ great-office-spaces-google-13 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
If I visited their super-cool office, I’d write “Kill Plus, save Reader” in graffitti on one of their super-cool walls.
I really really want to work for google!
All this and (soon to be) LEED Certified as well…enny inducing indeed!
All this and (soon to be) LEED Certified as well…envy-inducing indeed! What a fantastic project.
Wow these guys are always rocking the best of the best! How cool is that a play fort tent inside the office. Cool