Location: Dublin, Ireland.

Architect: RKD in association with Gensler London.

One Microsoft Place is the new European headquarters of Microsoft, with 2,000 employees from 71 nationalities. RKD designed the building’s shell and core and worked in association with Gensler London on the interior concepts. The team’s primary objective was to create a physical manifestation of the cultural transformation that Microsoft has been through. The island theme was designed to foster collaborative ways of working and help Microsoft with its cultural transformation. Through strong dialogue and collaboration, the design evolved over time to better reflect the needs of Microsoft and its workforce.

The client-approved design provides an ultra-modern piece of architecture, reflecting Microsoft’s position as a world-renowned industry leader. The building is orientated on a northwest/southeast axis to maximise levels of natural daylight and take full advantage of its elevated setting with spectacular views of the woodland and Leopardstown Racecourse in the immediate surroundings. The façade combines curtain wall and anodised rain-screen cladding to create a modern and striking appearance, while the design of the west-facing entrance resembles a pair of outstretched arms. The building sits on a plinth of local natural stone, reflecting the building’s location in the foothills of the Dublin mountains. The location of One Microsoft Place ensures it can be accessed easily by staff and visitors alike, with the M50 motorway and a variety of bus and tram stops located within the immediate vicinity.

Two basement levels of the building incorporate a range of facilities designed to improve the well-being of staff, including a gym, yoga studio, faith rooms, treatment room and shower and changing rooms. The ground floor of One Microsoft Place includes an arrival atrium, client meeting suites, a main atrium, ‘mountain’ staircase and digital waterfall, a multi-use lounge, a market bakery/servery, an Italian Quarter, a beach servery, a street food bar and terrace. The first, second, third and fourth floors provide a wide variety of open-plan office space and meeting rooms, interconnected by a range of ‘trails’. More than 25,000 individual and varied pieces of furniture are located throughout the building, and the roof level includes additional plants and services, a green roof area and a large terrace with panoramic views of the Dublin Mountains.