The new headquarters of gaming company The Sandbox in Culver City, Los Angeles, mimic the virtual world in a tactile way. Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales had the pleasure of participating in a project that will help put Finnish interior architecture on the map.
IN THE WESTERN part of sunny Los Angeles, lies Culver City. The history of the centrally-located city is marked by numerous TV and movie productions – Culver City is home to films such as E.T., Gone with the Wind and Citizen Kane – although in recent years, technology companies have also found their way under the swaying palm trees.
The Sandbox is a company that has built its business in the metaverse, beyond the physical world. The Sandbox operates in virtual reality, providing an open, ever-evolving platform where people can meet each other, play games, spend time, and learn new things.
However, the company’s new headquarters in Culver City is, at least for the time being, located in the real world. The Sandbox needed premises not only for its employees but also for the numerous content creators, brand representatives and influencers visiting the company.
The Sandbox’s headquarters serves both employees and partners.
The aim for the new office and corporate hospitality venue was to create an impression of what the company itself is: an innovative player combining the real and virtual world.
KOKO3 made the premises colorful yet elegant
The interior of the office, completed in the autumn of 2023, was designed by Finnish design office KOKO3. During the project led by Jukka Halminen and Diana Cerrada, the approximately 900-square-meter facility, located in an edgy old industrial building, was provided with structure, elegance, and delectable colors.
The spaces subtly change from public to more private, and the office is equally suitable for both focused work and casual interaction. The furniture is streamlined, with a relaxed European look.
“We created the interior around mirrors, curtains and strong colors,” describes Diana Cerrada. The decor of the two-story office includes elements that provide a playful feel of the virtual world. The elements create a cozy, futuristic space that looks as if it serves as an entryway into other dimensions.
“The industrial features of the meticulously renovated building were left visible.”
“The old building is known to have housed at least a car repair shop and a gym before this,” says Jukka Halminen. The industrial features of the meticulously renovated building were left visible. They provide a backdrop for the carefully selected color palette, in which warm browns and reds balance out the blue also present in The Sandbox’s logo.
The NFT art owned by The Sandbox, prominently put on display on screens, also plays a major role in the office premises.
Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales was part of the project since the start
Finnish Design Shop provided the furniture for The Sandbox’s new flagship office. The Finnish design studio KOKO3, which designs interiors for a variety of public spaces, restaurants, offices and hotels, among others, has been collaborating with Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales for a long time, so it was easy for KOKO3 to turn to the familiar, trusted provider this time, as well.
“We wanted to make this easy for the customer, so we chose Finnish Design Shop,” says Halminen. Managing the large project was smooth and easy, as the Contract Sales team took care of, for instance, staying on budget, product listings and monitoring the delivery schedules of different manufacturers.
The selection also played a key role: the designers at KOKO3 were familiar with Finnish Design Shop’s wide product range, which also meets the needs of demanding projects. The story already has a sequel on the way, as KOKO3 is currently finishing the interior of The Sandbox’s new office in Paris.
Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales, which will turn ten in 2024, was involved in The Sandbox’s office project in Culver City right from the start. Johanna Lindberg from Finnish Design Shop’s Contract Sales acted as the contact person for both the design studio and the end customer, supporting them in various stages of the project, although of course, just as in all the other projects, the support of the entire Contract Sales team was available in this project, as well.
“Due to the long distance, it was understandably important for the customer that all products came from the same place and at the same time,” says Lindberg. “This, of course, required precision from the entire supply chain and using a wide range of logistics professionals.”
Finnish Design Shop’s whole team was happy to be part of putting Finnish expertise and interior architecture on the map, as those, if anything, deserve to be noticed.
“Our headquarters certainly has that 'wow' factor”
Mathieu Nouzareth, you work as the Chief Business Officer of The Sandbox. What does The Sandbox do?
“The Sandbox is the world's largest open metaverse. Our goal is to create an open virtual space where players and users can meet to play, have fun, get entertained, and learn. The Sandbox is also the best place for content creators to push their content to users. We are completely open and do not control what is done on the platform.”
What kind of office did you want?
“We wanted a headquarters that would reflect The Sandbox: innovative and forward-looking, merging the virtual world and the real world. The office is also a space where we meet with top content creators, brands, and celebrities. We work with companies such as Gucci and Warner Music or with artists such as Snoop Dogg. We wanted a place where we can showcase to these partners who we are and what we do.”
How did the collaboration with KOKO3 go?
“This wasn’t an easy project, given that KOKO3 is based in Helsinki and our office is in Los Angeles – the distance and time difference posed quite a challenge. However, KOKO3 handled everything exceptionally well! They were creative and professional, took our comments into account, and always came back with fresh ideas and suggestions.
In the end, we completed the entire project on schedule and within budget. Best of all, our employees love the new space! It feels simultaneously futuristic and edgy, yet cozy and comfortable. All our visitors have been super impressed as well. Our headquarters certainly has that 'wow' factor, just as we had hoped for.”
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See also:
• Finnish Design Shop Contract Sales >
Text: Hanna-Katariina Mononen Location images: Scottie Cameron Image edit: Edvard Enqvist