29/09/2026
// REVISITING MICROSOFT HQ VIENNA //
Completed in 2011, the Microsoft Austria Headquarters in Vienna was designed by INNOCAD architecture as part of Microsoft’s "New World of Work" concept, at a time when flexible and activity-based working was still a relatively new approach. Rather than creating a uniform office environment, INNOCAD developed a diverse spatial landscape in which each room had its own identity, atmosphere, and function. The 23 meeting rooms were designed in different configurations and complemented by lounges, cafés, a library, retreat rooms, communication areas, and spaces for spontaneous meetings or focused work. Distinctive details, such as the large-scale X-ray image of a computer at the reception and the slide connecting the two floors, reinforce the project’s dialogue between technology, communication, and new ways of working.
As part of our retrospective, we also explore the headquarters through the lens of Austrian artist and photographer Marina Faust, whose photographs were originally taken 15 years ago for the French art and architecture magazine FROG. Her images capture the atmosphere and individuality of the workplace through its spaces, materials, and details, offering a distinctive visual perspective on the project. Fifteen years later, the headquarters provides an opportunity to reflect on an early interpretation of flexible working and the role of architecture in shaping new workplace experiences. For more information about this project, visit our website. https://innocad.at/projects/hq-microsoft-vienna/