Instagram Unveils Their New Insta-Worthy NYC Headquarters

Culture Trip gets the inside scoop on Instagram’s new New York City headquarters and how its office was designed to “create content at every turn.”

Office architecture by Gehry Partners at 770 Broadway

Curated, experiential office aesthetics are becoming the new norm for tech and media companies, and Instagram’s new NYC headquarters proves to be a worthy contender for the most “on-brand” of them all. Located on the border of the East Village—now largely dominated by NYU and still vaguely saturated with the lingering (albeit diminishing) hue of the punk-rock era—the neighborhood seems rather fitting for the social networking company, which opened their NYC office less than three years ago with only three employees. Now, they’re planning to fill an entire “Instagram-only” floor at 770 Broadway, and will reportedly end the year with 350 employees.

The design sensibility for the space comes from Instagram New York’s culture lead, Kitty Bromhead, and was largely kept in-house. “Our goal was to encapsulate the most distinct features of the Instagram culture, while still maintaining a unique office identity within the New York city landscape,” Bromhead tells Culture Trip.

A ‘Dichroic Geometry’ concept within the structure of a partial dome offers an interactive user experience.

Instagram’s in-house design team, led by Kitty Bromhead, curated the space with user-generated imagery

The brand’s “community-first philosophy” is reflected in the design aesthetic, particularly in the central atrium area, which will also serve as a site for speaker series, gatherings, and exhibitions. Bromhead and her team included user-generated photographs for this area, and made sure these photos emphasized the New York state of mind. “All [rotating] imagery was curated by community creators featured on @Instagram—from social good to natural history to street and fashion photography,” Bromhead says. “We optimized for photographers based in New York or recently exhibited in New York to unify the NY aesthetic and IGNY identity.”

But with so many ultra-hip office aesthetics and amenities out there, one has to ask: is all this really designed to be used by employees during work hours? The gradient-splashed wall, for instance, was created as a backdrop for #OOTD (Outfit of the Day, in case you’re not privy to the hashtag); but is it just for show? Bromhead says Insta employees are “absolutely” are encouraged to do photoshoots during the day.

“Our goal for the office was to create content at every turn. We designed our creation experiences…to be hyper-visual spaces perfect for capturing and sharing photos and videos.” The dichroic geometric dome—an interactive installation with modular, moveable seating—also encourages a bit of play: “Similar to the Living Green Wall and Gradient Wall, the Dome is a dedicated creation experience for employees and office visitors alike to capture and share photos and videos,” Bromhead continues.

And when it comes to the arguably most important feature in any office space—the snacks—it seems Instagram employees will also be getting insta-worthy treats. Inspired by 1930s Cuban-Miami aesthetic, their new gold-gilded juice and gelato bar called the “Frozen Palm” will include 18 different juices and smoothies with names inspired by IG’s now-famous filters, like X-Pro II and Gingham.

For other offices looking to strike the right balance between functionality, play, and on-brand amenities, they could definitely take a few cues from Instagram’s new NYC headquarters.

Want to check out more Insta-worthy work spaces in New York City? Here’s a look at Gensler’s stunning office design for Edrington, aka the company behind some of your favorite boozy brands.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.