Twitter launched its presence in Australia in 2013 but didn't have a proper office until this year. The US-based social media company has finally settled into a fancy permanent workspace and we were invited to take a tour of the new joint. Here's a guided tour of what's cool about the Twitter Australia office.
"When in Rome, do as Romans do". When setting up a presence in a new country, make sure you take the local culture into consideration.
To that end, Twitter made a huge effort to imbue its local office with an Australian beach vibe. The reception and waiting areas feature sandstone partially covered by carpet with a greenish tinge to replicate the imagery of sand and sea. The Twitter logo that greets you at the door is coloured in gold, again, to hammer the whole golden sand motif home.
The beach theme is carried right through the rest of the office with the meeting rooms named after famous beaches around Sydney. Twitter Australia has set up a "Blue Room", which is essentially a recording studio adorned with funky decorations and walls reminiscent of the blue sky you would see when laying on the beach on a sunny day.
Are you feeling the beach theme yet?
The Blue Room is used to accommodate celebrities and musicians that visit, providing the perfect backdrop for interviews and live recordings. No doubt Twitter plans to host some Periscope sessions in the Blue Room in the not too distant future.
Step into the working area and the office becomes a lot more conventional. Twitter Australia favours an open plan layout. We've previously discussed the pitfalls of open plan, mainly that it can be distracting to workers. But for a creative organisation like Twitter, where team members would be encouraged to throw around ideas and engage with one another, this workplace arrangement seems appropriate.
Given that the office is situated on the 39th floor, Twitter Australia workers get an incredible view of the city. One room in particular overlooks the iconic Kings Cross area. It is a room where workers can indulge in the sound of silence and work away from the hustle and bustle of the open office space. Elsewhere in the office, those who want peace and quiet have access to cushioned "pods" where they can plop down and just blob for a while.
There are currently only 50 people working at Twitter Australia but the office can accommodate up to 150 employees, so the company is clearly expecting some serious growth in the near future. For now, the office has rows of clean white desks just waiting to be used.
One of the more interesting features about the Twitter Australia workspace is the wall art. The space has a few feature walls adorned with art and memorabilia from special moments in the company's history. There are back stories to all of them, from the wall covered in motivational Tweets to the love heart made from personal photos of Twitter staffers. They give the office the warmth and personality that many workplaces lack.
We end the tour in the common area, a vast open space with a big lit-up sign on the wall that says "Love Where You Work". We think it's safe to assume that its denizens love their workspace.
