2020 Office Design Award: Salesforce Innovation Center by The Wiseman Group

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“For our first major commercial project, we were very spoiled,” says Paul Wiseman of The Wiseman Group. “We didn’t start at the bottom; we started at the top.” Literally. In the year-old Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, TWG’s purview included the 60th and 61st floors—connected by a staircase and occupied by the Salesforce Innovation Center, which includes conference rooms and an Ohana Floor, which has an exhibition kitchen and a coffee bar, as well as spots for employees to congregate.

Exterior and interior glass walls allow for maximum enjoyment
of the views of the San Francisco Bay and beyond. Photos by Michael Kelley.

Ohana is a Hawaiian term that refers to family. And at the tower, a sense of community is central. “Marc Benioff had the foresight to reshape the corporate experience,” says Wiseman of the founder, chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce. TWG previously worked on the tech titan’s homes and knew Benioff wanted to take a “resimercial” approach to his headquarters.

The bathroom features a custom mural by artist Shinji Murakami, who used Fireclay Tiles for his creations. Photos by Michael Kelley.

Calling to mind the Salesforce cloud logo, hues of blue are prevalent throughout, while green and orange are too. Wood—teak, walnut and oak—and freeform furniture, like the custom Wave sofa, impart an organic feel. Expanses of glass, both walls and skylights, bring the sun in. The importance of plants is evident with the “living columns” throughout.

“Marc wanted what he billed as ‘the world’s greatest living room,’ where people could gather, engage with each other and also enjoy the view,”
says TWG design director James Hunter, who closely collaborated with architects at Mark Cavagnero Associates—in particular, Cavagnero and Brandon Joo. (The two firms’ concepts serve as a template for Salesforce offices worldwide.) Adds Hunter: “Marc’s creating a new way for businesses to function and work. It’s pretty mind-blowing.” – Anh-Minh Le

“Plants are a huge part of the company culture—the idea that you’re in a garden, or you’re surrounded by nature or natural things,” says TWG’s James Hunter. Photos by Michael Kelley.