The same week Facebook employees moved into a new Frank Gehry-designed building with a massive green roof, the social media giant submitted plans to Menlo Park for the construction of two office buildings on 58 acres it purchased last year. [...]
Also designed by Gehry, the two office buildings would total 985,719 square feet and have a similar look, feel and height to the new Facebook building across from its main headquarters.
— latimes.com
Previously: Gehry's new Facebook campus opens for business and much more
45 Comments
I just wonder where the Google's and the Apple's think they are going to get all the water they need??
Amazon
They can use the heat from their servers to desalinate the ocean water flown in by drones of course.
Peter N
The client (like SV) seems so anti architecture.... Perhaps it confirms some of Mike Davis' writings on how Gehry "clarifies the underlying relations of repression, surveillance and exclusion that characterize the fragmented, paranoid spatiality toward which Los Angeles seems to aspire." Maybe that's what FB loves about him!
insert SV for LA....
This is an excellent article on the new FB building. Olly Wainwright grabbed Instagram feeds of FB employees to show the interiors.
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2015/apr/08/facebook-hq-mark-zuckerberg-frank-gehry-new
I agree with Wainwright that the building seems like a return to old-school Frank Gehry's work. Super rough and finding beauty in messiness. After reading this article I've decided I like the building - it's the kind of place I could get work done in, for sure.
Where Chipperfield sees poor quality, FB and Gehry see potential instagramable moments.
I want to like this building. Think OMA could have been only ones to pull it off.
But OMA is so self-conscious and ironic about "raw materials". FOG just uses them cuz they're cool. That's my read of the difference, at least.
What is more self-conscious than Facebook (other than blocking Wainwright and the North Korean-esque instagram archi-propoganda)? Still think the IIT building in Chicago is a masterpiece of "raw materials" and a high-tech/media aesthetic. This seems very low-tech, perhaps happier and kinder. OMA could have taken the instagram irony and borderline fascist undertones to delicious limits. But it just looks like FB and SV aren't that excited about pushing architecture when their line is always "we don't want architecture cause its too design-y" (except Apple, go figure). Then they go and download the default fonts (Gehry).
What does that even mean to be anti-design? Looks like some accidental good spaces there and material gestures, but not with the same spirit as Gehry's early work... more accidents and cheap compromises than intention and artistry. Too much bland color art covering up the blandness. The work spaces are a disaster. It's a different scale than 70s Gehry. Of course this is relative to "architecture" and not the dismal state of office space everywhere.
Perhaps there is more between the spectrum between overdesigned and cheap: Aalto comes to mind (not here, but... idk). Engineers will always have their own aesthetic, this is a good notion of that conciously unconcious. Just wonder what happens when all of those excited 20 somethings grow up and don't want to have conspicuous fun 24/7 anymore. Easily replaced, perhaps...
I agree that IIT in Chicago is a masterpiece - one of my favorite buildings. But it feels not at all like a laid-back California attitude, right? FB seems very California now even though it started at Yale or somewhere, right?
I was surprised that Zuckerberg said that spending a lot of money on a building didn't seem like a good representation of the FB corporate attitude. Does he not have billions of dollars?
Agree on the laid back Cali vibe. Prob a good fit for that. Still seems too accidental, hodgepodge, lacking in vision.
But you never know. Downtown SF is pretty architectural. And FB was invented in a ivy league urban environment, so whatever I guess. Billionaires are now trying to be inconspicuous.... Hoodies and jeans.
For what it's worth, I like quite a bit of what's going on with the building.
On the other hand, the way FG uses plywood makes his buildings (that use it) feel like you are inside of a shed... now where is my lawnmower.
Horrendous spaces, lots of really uncomfortable places. The most comfortable one in the entire place - from the pictures shown - appears to be this one:
"Seems too accidental, hodgepodge, lacking in vision", isn't that what Facebook is?
I like it. Like a sketchbook of ideas. It is not for everyone I suppose but has a kind of unpretentious charm to me. Very hard to pull something like this off.
I'd use thoughtless rather than unpretentious, Gehry's work is awfully pretentious.
That's why I said not for everyone. I know you and others don't like Gehry's work. I see architecture as a big tent with room for all kinds of expression.
Miles, Not looking for a fight. I am curious as to what you would say the differences between Gellar and Gehry would be if Gellar had bigger budgets and program.
Geller was an architect in an artful way, while Gehry views his architecture as artistic expression.
Do you think the guy in that little interior windowed office is checking his Facebook?
When the architecture is this blandly cheerful, it screams Walter White.... Why not go the full Heisenberg?
So, let me understand this, and correct me if I have it wrong; architect pursues client, client demur's based on said architect's past work, architect advises potential client to seek out other architects, potential client does, and finds that soliciting architect is the better bet, architect designs a space that responds to client needs, is delivered ahead of schedule, under budget, and is not flashy, client, and the end users love the space, and then go on to hire the architect for future phases. Do I have that correct?
Do I also have correct that none of you have visited the space, and have generally seen images of the exterior, and until Wainwright's piece, filled with Instagram photos of the users loving the shit out of the building, have made ridiculous comments about branding, as though branding was invented yesterday? Do I have that correct?
Yeah, you hate Gehry when he does Gehry 1997-2014, and when Gehry does 1980-1997.
I'm beginning to think FOG screwed your mom, in front of your dad, and made you watch. That. or you sent in a resume, and had it crumpled into a building idea that wound up being the Guggenheim Bilbao.
You're petty, uninformed, jealous and uninteresting; schizoids.
Good heavens, beta!
Ha^ am I Hitler too? Or is Facebook Hitler? We're all Hitler?
Well, you sound like real garbage person, but it's fun talking about this project so I'll continue. Sorry, is that okay with you? Do i need your permission? Since you like talking how happy the "end users" are based on a staged marketing campaign, perhaps there is a job for you in the Facebook PR department. The look real happy in North Korea too, amiright? I thought architects had a slightly more refined sense of architecture than clients? No? Alright, let's just let the clients do the project then. Cool. Done. Let's go see a dystopian sci-fi thriller.
Read the Wainwright captions--a hilarious take on the "happiness" of the users. I'm not a huge fan on judging based on pictures instead of experience, but Facebook is a big part (the big part) of this digital short attention span culture so I figure they deserve a taste of their own medicine.
From what I read in the original Wired article, it was more like client persues architect, architect slides away, client keeps architect for branding purposes. I'm pretty pro-architecture if that means quality materials, spaces, etc. It's just interesting to look into because what it says about the relationship between digital media and architecture, especially when the client is trying to mute the "design-y ness." Design has become the new buzzword in SV, so its odd that this sense doesn't extend beyond the screen.
Apart from the "you're jealous" anti-critique critique, there is a wide spectrum here between looking into the ideas here and petty comments. In FB's world, aren't comments always good? Anyway, my whole thing is that Gehry doesn't really appear much at all. His new building in France is awesome. The Bilbao is awesome. LA Concert center is awesome. That Seattle Music experience, what is that. This one looks ok for FB purposes. The anti-design lingo coming from the PR shook me a bit. . . as did the Instagram campaign. Just interesting to speculate for my own thought process on how arch projects relate to the new media landscape. If "meeting client needs" is now going to be a recipe for "less design" i'm not with that equation. The color art is okay, but its overuse reveals a very 2D strategy.. what about textile artists? 3D artists? There looks to be some nice moments here and there. Overall, it looks like successful by the terms of the project... unfinished, unpretentious, unintentional.
I'm infinitely interested at how a comment directed at no one in particular, is interpreted by anyone in particular. I wonder if says more about the first one that takes offense, or about the one that reads it and doesn't.
Yeah, you're Hitler, if you want to be. Mostly, I find Darkman to be annoying, but others have blasted Gehry for doing x, and when he does your, he gets blasted. So yeah, if you're doing that, then you're a fuck.
In FB's world, aren't comments always good?
This, Lightperson. This is exactly right, and relates to how we need to understand the new normal. Example: I detest the idea of wearing ripped up jeans and sneakers to work. I'm so old school I still believe in wearing stockings if your legs are going to be exposed! But clearly that's my own out-of-date preferences for what workplace attire should be. The parallel to what the workPLACE itself should be is clear: we live in a much more casual yet much more connected world. Interesting times.
"I'm intinitely interested" the closed minded garbage person b3tajahlfhalsdkfa says. If you direct it at everyone, then you should expect a response from anyone. Try to include some architecture content in your reponse next time.
This is Archinect, where people talk about architecture. THANKS. I can show you some other sites if you like bland cheerful PR content.
Awe. I hurt little Darkboy's feeling center. Poor little Teapublican. Here, boo, let me get you a tissue.
When you start talking about architecture, I'll respond, now, let me get you your Kleenex.
Yeah interesting times indeed. I can never go with the too casual look. Like everything, think that virtue is between the extremes..in fashion, politics and design. The hoodie and jeans tech phenomenon is a sad development. Don't they have any taste? You can't pretend not to have learned fashion into your 30s. Women have it better when it comes to fashion--combining materiality and graphics. Though men's catching up a bit. Maybe I am a sexist teapublican for saying it. Then again I'm more of a phenomenological feminist than a McCarthyist statisical feminist.
Settle down, boys, you're both pretty. (Isn't that exactly the *wrong* response for me to make right now to de-escalate this situation??? I'm feeling sassy today.)
Oooh Lightperson your intervening post ruined my brilliant comedic timing :-(
^ wow, fancy that, a non architectural comment I can agree with. For the record, dummy, I agree with you about FOG's work. I love Bilbao, and Disney. I also loved his house. I like this building, precisely because it plays against the narrative, and achieves all the objectives, plus design is more subtle, and understated. Full Heisenberg would be crap, and we know how that ends.
Yours too LB. Step off.
Well, if b3jsisbeifkfkr wants to fight me, I can tell him when and where. It would be good PR for my arch practice.... NYtimes story: "man kicks living shit out of another for petty architecture Internet comments."
Not even sure what that photo is.... Disturbing
(Also, isn't it appropriate to fill a thread about Facebook with gifs and memes? All will be forgotten by tomorrow's next outrage.)
Darknancy, kicking your ass would be a pleasure, however, figuring out what to do with your choked out, broken body would be too costly.
http://giphy.com/gifs/furious7-fight-punch-furious-7-xTiTnxxyVuH374sjRu
i like hoodies.
I'm all about the love.
The thing the client seems to be happiest about seems to be that it was on budget. Typical MBA or engineer thinking. So.... Success! Says a lot.
Facebook, a publically traded company, completes headquarters in time, and under budget, has what appears to me happy employees, and yet that doesn't equal a satisfied client and share holders? What do you expect Gehry to do, for a client, that likely specified program, and nature of the campus? Are you shifting the paradigm of what it means to be a satisfied client?
Well I'm sure there are many satisfied WalMart managers but that's a low bar to set for architecture.
Steve Jobs, on the other hand, had a real respect for materials and craft, and how these things work. Not the buzzword "design" that SV claims now. It shows.
(Sorry Lightperson, that photo is a sassy old lady, me, kicking someone when they're down. I'm a jerk, sorry.)
Lighty, I think all of the SV projects represent the respective needs of the client. No one would expect anything less from Jobs when it comes to the design of something, however, $2 bn over budget?? Apple is lucky they are who they are, or they'd be sunk.
I wonder what would happen to FB employees who instagrammed pics of the building with hate comments ...
I wonder about the ones that don't instagram.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.