Dropbox Studios, Dublin
Project Highlights
Building on a long-standing relationship, two joined forces with Dropbox to revamp their Dublin outpost and establish Dropbox Studios—a new desk-free, all-collaboration office coming soon to all of the company’s locations.
To support the first iteration of their Studios model, we developed flexible layouts with adaptable furnishings for multi-use team spaces.
For the café and transitional spaces, we selected furnishings that fit the new aesthetic vision of a neutral-toned upscale hotel vibe that’s consistent across spaces.
A new hybrid model for Dropbox locations everywhere
Our work for Dropbox’s Dublin office supports their new ambitious vision called Dropbox Studios: the office experience reimagined as a place for team-building. two took part in testing and creating solutions for collaboration-only hybrid workspaces complete with ultra-flexible furnishings that optimize space and are easily reconfigurable.
The first Dropbox Studio built from the ground up, the Dublin space is proof of concept—this studio-style office centers on adaptable multi-use spaces in lieu of individually-assigned desks. Aside from six desks for the full-time facilities team, there are no assigned desks or single-use hotdesking workstations. Building on our 15-year relationship with Dropbox, we’re thrilled to be part of this iterative office reinvention.
Turning the office into a team player
The Dropbox team tasked us with developing adaptable furniture and layout solutions for their Team Rooms, which would be standard across Studios. Built into our solutions was the expectation that needs will change over time—a necessary consideration when designing a future-proof workplace.
The Team Rooms contain a multitude of reconfigurable options for seating, tables, and training equipment. Our furniture selections featured casters or lightweight constructions so teams can easily rearrange rooms for any occasion. In the space above, the bar-height, caster-equipped tables by Bespoke face the TV for a presentation or training. The same pieces can also be rolled together for a double-wide tablespace in a collaborative boardroom-style layout.
The presto-chango treatment applies to lounge features too. We selected armless upholstered chairs by La Cividina and lined them up—voila: sofa-style comfort. If workers need a reprieve for close-up comradery— these lightweight pieces can be pulled apart for solo seating.
For this high-volume training room and adjacent lounge, above, we needed to design for flexibility and density of use. To support easy reconfiguration, we opted for comfortable lightweight stacking chairs by Naughtone and power-enabled, rollable meeting tables by Bespoke.
The lounge area (above left) posed a chance for us to style extra comfort into this get-down-to-business realm. Playfully angular and very portable, the white side table from Lammhults offers a perfect laptop surface, along with power outlets and retractable cords built into its chunky base—everything you need for solo work or an impromptu tête-à-tête. Comfy seating selections include slouchy upholstery-and-steel chairs from Faye Toogood for Hem and a soft-lined sofa by Normann Copenhagen.
The most flexible all-hands space ever, hands down
For Dropbox Dublin’s multipurpose and adaptable all-hands space, two once again leaned on flexible, moveable pieces that lend themselves to layout transformations.
We chose lightweight bar-style chairs by Naughtone to go with Bespoke’s rollable tables. These pieces can glide into position for across-the-table collaboration, as shown above right, or rearrange for audience seating when presentations take center stage.
A neutral-toned hotel aesthetic for visitors & resident employees alike
As Dropbox’s only European office, the Dublin outpost attracts international visitors who come to work with the teams here. With this in mind, Dropbox wanted the space to evoke the calming comfort of an upscale hotel or spa where far-flung visitors and resident employees alike would feel at home.
As many employees travel directly from the airport to the Dublin office, it had to be visitor-friendly. For this hallway space, we designed custom lockers with lower cubbies built for slide-in suitcase storage. We added a touch of lounge with Andreu World’s Reverse Occasional tables in a marbleized finish; pale gray wingback armchairs by Tom Dixon; and—for a touch of whimsy—Bob stools by Modus, made from recycled wine-bottle corks, with finger-holds for easy hobnobbing.
Carried over from other office projects, Dropbox’s signature motif of the cumulus cloud shape—an apropos signifier for a cloud storage company—touches down in this Dublin space. To underscore the curving silhouettes in transitoinal spaces, we selected Bespoke tables and Noom’s Modern Gropius chairs for their rounded lines and circular forms, and we matched their hues to the pale wood and light-colored fabric of the built-in benches.
A Little R (& r): a café-style respite
To reboot and refuel, Dropbox Studios brings you Little R. A replacement for the vast cafeterias of yore, this pared-down café offers a quieter, bite-sized reprieve for a meeting-packed day. For the Dublin version, we chose chic pieces in soft tones: mod sculptural tables by Andreu World paired with sleek chairs by Normann Copenhagen in leather and blond ash. This tasteful mélange of comfort and style encourages the good kind of timeout: one featuring snacks and chitchat.
The hallway adjacent to Little R continues the clean-lined, comfort-forward look of this project’s transitional spaces. We worked with Jonathan Killeen at Bespoke to design custom tables, with tops made of a beautiful green marble that is specific to Ireland. This understated salute to the Dublin location honors the local yet falls in line with the overarching hotel-spa concept.
Future-focused conference rooms
