Airbnb is renovating its 650 Townsend offices with functionality and fun in mind

AD PRO: The building is anchored by the atrium. How did you approach such a central point?

RH: The intervention in the atrium was to dialogue with the original architecture, but to bring it into the 21st century. We’ve added stairs, extended balconies, and refreshed the railing system to tie them all together. The project team’s nickname for the assembly was “The Roller Coaster Staircase,” which is fitting because the goal was to get people moving easily from other buildings on campus into the heart of space. From the Bluxome Street side, the staircase flows steadily up to the upper level with balconies and landings along the way. On the Townsend Street side, a circular staircase is tucked into a semi-circular space. It is part of the existing architecture and corkscrews to the top floor as well.

“We wanted to simulate a swimming pool in Palm Springs,” Harvey says of one of the common areas. “What big pool doesn’t have noodles?” »

Photo: Mariko Reed

AD PRO: What aspects of the design did you bring that reflect the company’s ethos of travel and exploring new ideas?

RH: We designed the floor themes to match the general themes of Airbnb experiences. On the third floor, for example, we [were inspired by] art-based listings, such as artist lofts, and experiences such as art walks and crafts. One room is entirely devoted to violin making. On the sixth floor, the theme is based on food found around the world, drawing inspiration from the amazing kitchens of our homes and the many culinary experiences, such as a dumpling-making class in Shanghai.

Each floor was inspired by the different travel destinations and activities offered by the company.

Photo: Mariko Reed

project details

Last name: 650 Townsend

Design team: Airbnb environments (Rachael Harvey, Aaron Harvey, Brendan Williams, Kevin Lee and Leila Khosrovi); WRNS Architects; Brereton Architects

Cut: 196,000 square feet

Location: SoMa, San Francisco

Chronology: Two years

Biggest Challenge: “For the workspace, it was the limited natural light and low floor-to-ceiling heights. In the atrium, we had to work around the operational server farm in the basement.”

Favorite piece of design: “The night market, which is a micro-cuisine and a service. It is a good example of the strategic use of a space without daylight.”

Weirdest source: “We asked Rohan Deyal, a Delhi-based photographer, to photograph a panorama of Lodhi Gardens for the Lodhi Conference Hall photo mural.”

Smallest item: “Home Depot plastic trellis for our green dining room.

An idea you almost went with: “Horsehair wallcovering in the Calligraphy Experience conference room.”

The most interesting thing on the mood board of the project: “Constantin Brancusi’s studio. The palette on the third floor is inspired by the process of artistic creation.”