Spotify New York
An experiential design strategy that transformed 585,000 sq ft of 4 World Trade Center from a white box into a living breathing expression of Spotify’s brand, establishing a benchmark for the entire global portfolio.
The Challenge
Spotify’s recent hyper-growth generated some challenges as they expanded across multiple global locations, and their new ‘Dynamic workplace’ had prompted discussions on all levels of the ‘office rethink’. At the point of the design team’s engagement, Spotify was redefining its office design, including architecture and global standards, and was working on the base build architectural layer, to the interior finishes and the experiential layer.
Whilst Spotify expanded in new locations, the existing offices needed an alignment and a sincere local flavor as well as a physical manifestation of the global brand.
The team asked itself: “How can experiential design play a role in unifying both people and place whilst promoting creative and collaborative results across a dynamic workplace?” Put simply; “What makes a space intrinsically ‘Spotify’?”
Project Vision
The team’s approach was to distill the very essence of Spotify. We got to know their company and culture, discovering how to visualize audio in all forms. The strategy was built by connecting the space to the platform, coupled with a heartfelt celebration of New York culture manifested through the locally created artworks. Alongside Spotify’s internal global workplace design team Acrylicize collaborated with Spotify’s Brand & Creative team, R&D, Music, and Podcast teams to create artworks that explore audio visualization and bring Spotify’s core belief to life.
Design + Execution
Acrylicize first considered how each space would feel, how people move through them, and how they best reflect both the brand. As a result of Spotify’s innovative “dynamic workplace” initiative, the office has its own flow decided by the people who work there and how they use it. Throughout 16 stories, the world of audio is unraveled and explored, creating a seamless look that’s immersive at every level bringing to life Spotify’s core belief: listening is everything. The design solution is made up of four elements: Wayfinding, Brand Experience, Artwork, and Activations. Each element creates environments that speak to different needs of a dynamic organization. This formed the structure for NYC and the foundations for a subsequent 18 properties across Spotify’s portfolio.
Project Details
In a genre of work spaces which are being commonplace this one stands out in corporate placemaking and identity. All of the spaces, interventions, installations and environmental graphics were incredibly strong, coherent and spoke to Spotify’s branding.
Certainly a living, breathing expression of Spotify’s brand.
Refreshing and unexpected, every floor is a surprise. It is a clever physical expression of the brand and platform that celebrates artists and creativity.
Design Team
Hannah Rummery (creative director)
Oliver Frend (creative director)
Grace Reed (project manager)
John Lenehan (project manager)
Zoe Maslen (lead designer)
Taylor Reed (lead designer, activations lead)
Chantelle Purcell (curator)
Robin Gillard (production manager)
Gloria Musana (financial manager)
Lucy Eades (designer)
Ian Cambell (designer)
Sean Williams (designer)
Samantha Whitethread (creative artworker)
Sofia Esquivel (technical designer)
Collaborators
M Moser (dynamic workplace project)
HOK (design & build project floor 26/27)
Pink Sparrow (physical fabrication firm)
The Factory (physical fabrication firm)
TwoPoint8 (physical fabrication firm)
SFDS (physical fabrication firm)
HiLt (physical fabrication firm)
OtherBone (physical fabrication firm)
Adam Fu (mural artist)
Bryce Wymer (mural artist)
Jing Wei (mural artist)
Sanika Phawde (mural artist)
Amber Vittoria (mural artist)
Ellie Balk (mural artist)
Jocelyn (mural artist)
Simiao Wang (mural artist)
Bisco Smith (mural artist)
James Goldcrown (mural artist)
Scott Albrecht (mural artist)
Yanira Janes Parsons (mural artist)
Photo Credits
Brad Devins (photography, videography)
Open Date
October 2021