American studio AvroKO has completed a cafeteria and coffee bar in the new San Francisco headquarters for tech company Dropbox, providing a "place of comfort" that aims to keep employees from leaving the office (+ slideshow).
The Tuck Shop and Dropbox Cafe are located inside the recently completed offices for Dropbox, a major provider of online file hosting.
Intended to be used for dining and casual meetings, the venues "serve as the organisation's heartbeat," said Avroko – a US-based studio well-known for its hospitality work. The firm has offices in New York and San Francisco, as well as Bangkok.
While conceiving the project, the team channeled the idea of "neighbourhoods" and bringing people together. "The space was designed to be multipurpose, equally appropriate for dining, meetings, brainstorms and more," the architects said.
The team merged industrial elements like exposed pipes and a concrete ceiling with features intended to be more warm and inviting, including wood panelling, patterned rugs and potted plants.
Drawing inspiration from one of the tech company's mottos – "sweat the details" – the design team focused on small features, including lighting fixtures and furniture.
The Tuck Shop restaurant offers six food stations that are divided by screens made of transparent linen. Dining zones can be reconfigured to create private pockets for coworker gatherings and client meetings.
In the juice bar, the lighting is a modern take on antique street lamps, which aligns with the overall neighbourhood concept. In the main entry area, a chandelier has adjustable frames that slide up and down on tracks, evoking the transit lines of San Francisco.
The Dropbox Cafe is meant to have a residential feel and serve as a "place of comfort for staff".
"We tried to make this space feel separated from the rest of the office, so employees could feel as if they were getting the same experience of leaving the office to get a coffee without actually leaving the building," the team said.
In addition to a concrete ceiling and floor, the cafe features an eclectic mix of chairs, rugs and accessories – all of which are similar to pieces one might find in a living room, according to the architect.
Suspended over the bar is a steel structure that is stocked with books and coffee bags. Spherical custom pendants are affixed to the installation.
The cafe has an on-premise coffee roaster, which is encased by blackened steel and is visible to patrons. "The perfected cup is served over a dark wood bar with a contrasting white countertop," the architects added.
Other tech company projects include a headquarters for Samsung that features nap pods and music listening rooms and the new Facebook campus in Silicon Valley by Frank Gehry.
Photography is by Garret Rowland.