In 2025, when "permanent remote work" became a new option for Silicon Valley tech companies, Vivid Seats, North America's largest online entertainment ticketing platform, made a counter trend decision by moving its headquarters into the century old Marshall Field building in Chicago. Why did this technology company, founded in 2001 with over a thousand employees, go against the trend and increase its physical office space in the wave of remote work? The answer lies in the office environment created by Lamar Johnson Collaborative design team: there is no dullness of traditional office buildings here, only customized furniture that can "speak" and vibrant scenes that make people linger, redefining the meaning of "office".
The collision of historical architecture and modern office: environment as the first language of brand
Entering this Marshall Field building, which was first built in the 19th century, the first visual impact is not the century old marble floor or arched glass windows, but the serrated lighting fixtures that extend from the entrance to the atrium. This customized design evolved from the line elements of the brand logo serves as both a lighting system and a spatial guide - warm white beams create dynamic trajectories in the 8-meter-high hall, naturally guiding visitors towards the reception desk with the giant Vivid Seats logo printed on it. We hope that every person who walks in is immediately struck by the vitality of the brand, "the head of the design team emphasized in the interview.
The concept of 'environment is brand' runs through the entire office space. The heaviness of historical buildings and the agility of modern offices strike a wonderful balance here: color changing LED light strips hang under the original wooden beams, modular collaborative sofas are placed next to the retro cast iron stairs, and the showcase area originally used to display luxury goods has been transformed into an open telephone booth - these soundproof cabins customized with recycled materials not only preserve the historical texture of the building, but also meet the practical needs of "quiet space at any time" in mixed office mode.
The Magic of Customized Furniture: From Functional Carrier to Social Catalyst
What employees need is not a table, but a reason for them to be willing to come back. "This is the most common feedback heard by the design team during the survey. As a result, the customization level of office furniture has reached an unprecedented level of detail:
Accurate matching of collaborative scenarios
The "code corner" of the technical department is equipped with a movable workbench and a rotatable display screen bracket, supporting standing office and group pairing programming; The creative room of the marketing team is covered with magnetic white board walls, paired with foldable conference tables - when brainstorming is needed, the table can be unfolded into a circular shape with a diameter of 3 meters within 30 seconds, allowing 12 people to sit around and chat freely; And the customized bookshelf in the executive office hides a mystery. Pushing open a certain side panel, it turns out to be a mini recording studio, making it convenient to record internal podcasts at any time.
Transfiguration technique for multifunctional spaces
The most stunning feature is the coffee area located in the center of the floor. The customized furniture here completely breaks the boundaries of the scene: what may seem like an ordinary high legged table is actually a stage module that can be spliced together, instantly forming a 15 centimeter high performance stage after splicing; The booth sofa against the wall is equipped with a built-in sound system, and the circular chandelier above can switch lighting modes according to different scenes - soft work lighting during the day, "performance mode" in the evening, and popular concert clips played on the wall screen, transforming it into a small live music venue. Some employees have already volunteered to hold team meetings here, "said the HR director with a smile.
Space balancing technique for mixed work: making every requirement visible
Faced with the mixed office reality of "some people need fixed workstations, while others only want to come two days a week", the design team solved the problem with "layered space planning". The central area has been transformed into a "social core", including a coffee area, game room, and open collaboration area. All furniture here adopts lightweight design - a brake equipped universal wheel conference table, stackable plastic seats, and can quickly adjust the layout according to the real-time number of people; The peripheral area is distributed with dedicated work areas and enclosed offices. Customized single person workstations are equipped with intelligent storage cabinets, and employees can book their usage time through the APP. The system will automatically transport personal items from the storage area to the designated workstation.
Color psychology plays a crucial role here. The collaboration area led by Vitality Orange is paired with high saturation color furniture to stimulate creative collision; The quiet blue focus area uses low saturation fabric sofas and wooden desks to create a calm atmosphere; The customized gradient carpet in the transition area implies the transformation of spatial functions through color transitions. We have conducted tests and found that the time for employees to find the target area under color guidance has been reduced by 70%, "the design team revealed.
As more and more companies are struggling with whether to force employees to return to work, Vivid Seats' practice provides a new idea: the office environment should not be a "control tool" for management, but should become an emotional bond connecting employees and the brand. Here, every custom piece of furniture and every spatial design is conveying the same signal - work can be more than just a to-do list, it can also be a vibrant living scene. Perhaps this is the answer: when the office space starts to understand employees, they will naturally understand the meaning of 'coming back'.
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