Amazon HQ2 Metropolitan Park
How does one of the world’s largest companies establish a sister headquarters on the other side of country? This was the challenge ahead of the design team. With a well-established base in Seattle, Amazon sought to make a bold impact in the DC region, bringing a significant workforce to the community. This workforce would include a mix of employees—some relocating from other offices, eager to explore the DC and Potomac region for the first time, and others local to the area, new to Amazon’s culture and values, ready to see how it would integrate into their lives and communities.
The Challenge
Designed and built entirely during the pandemic, the two headquarters buildings needed a placemaking artwork program to engage with employees that seamlessly integrated with the interior design—maintaining a hospitality-inspired work environment rather than overwhelming viewers with overt brand messaging. With 36 work floors across two buildings, our team was tasked with designing a series of installations located in the kitchenettes that offered enough variety floor-to-floor to keep employees engaged as they moved between meetings, while also aligning with Amazon’s frugality principles.
Project Vision
The design team aimed to celebrate the local region through two distinct lenses: the natural beauty of the Potomac and its national parks, and the vibrancy of DC’s cultural institutions and music scene. Each theme was assigned to one of the two buildings and repeated in a randomized sequence across its floors. From a distance, these installations appear as contemporary wall sculptures set within a hospitality-driven environment. Up close, they reveal layers of discoverable content—Amazonian accomplishments, values, and insider lore—inviting employees to engage with their surroundings in unexpected ways.
Stylized wooden oars arranged in swirling patterns, inscribed with Amazon job titles, honor the rowing traditions of the Potomac River.
Gensler, Wendell Weithers
A circular sound wave of guitar picks radiates outward from the center of the wall, each engraved with Amazon’s diverse services.
Gensler, Wendell Weithers
Design + Execution
Constructed from groupings of smaller objects, these abstract sculptures reflect the natural and sonic environments of DC—symbolizing the collective strength of individuals coming together to create a meaningful impact. The designs incorporate organic forms, natural materials, deconstructed musical instruments, and repurposed objects, each inscribed with hidden details. Arranged in artful compositions, they blend seamlessly with the interior finishes, elevating the overall hospitality experience. By connecting the regional community to the workplace culture, these installations encourage Amazon’s newest workforce to explore, engage, and build a deeper connection with both their company and their new home.
Nautical ropes form masts inscribed with Amazon’s leadership principles, symbolizing the interconnection between these values.
Gensler, Wendell Weithers
Brass horn bells honor famous DC resident Duke Ellington’s jazz legacy, each engraved with Amazon’s civic awards.
Gensler, Wendell Weithers
Laser-etched branches, inspired by birdwatching, display Amazon’s commitments to environmental and social causes.
Gensler, Wendell Weithers
Thousands of carefully placed floating leaves move with air currents, each inscribed with an Amazon service.
Gensler, Wendell Weithers
Drumsticks arranged in a mid-century style sculpture punctuate the space, each engraved with a unique Amazon job role.
Gensler, Wendell Weithers
Project Details
Design Team
Gensler
Photo Credits
Gensler, Wendell Weithers, Magda Biernat Photography (photography)
Open Date
June 2023