Projects
KAYAK Office
Claridenstrasse, Zurich
Client
KAYAK Europe GmbH
Area
850 m²
Status
Implemented
Consulting · New Work · Concept · Planning · Implementation · Commissioning
Just as the word KAYAK is the same forwards and backwards, this place is also a back and forth: a home from which you depart, and a destination to which you gladly return.
For KAYAK, we designed an 850 m² working environment on Claridenstrasse in the centre of Zurich and accompanied the project from the initial design through to commissioning.
Round trip
A palindrome as a spatial concept
KAYAK didn't want an ordinary office, but a place where the team feels at home and enjoys working together. The space was meant to make the tech company's identity tangible: technological expertise and a passion for travel destinations.
The name provided the key. KAYAK reads the same forwards and backwards, like a journey there and back. This gave rise to the organization of the office: two poles, departure and return, between which the workday unfolds. The metal ceiling extends above as a calm, technical layer, making the company's digital expertise visible.
Departure: The Journey as Sightseeing
The departure begins at the entrance. A custom-designed trolley rack welcomes travelers, while a Vestaboard displays current messages like a departure board.
From here, the wayfinding works like a city tour, with deliberately placed moments of surprise. The alignment of the tiles follows the actual geographical direction in a global context. Anyone walking through the office is moving across a map.
Return: Kitchen and Tavolata
The fully equipped kitchen with a communal dining table and large sofa serves as the counterpoint to departure. This is where the team comes together: for lunch, cooking together, and social events.
In just a few steps, the room can be transformed into a party location, and gaming is also possible. This creates plenty of space for what was especially important to KAYAK: a sense of community.
Living room instead of meeting room
The meeting rooms are designed as living rooms. Depending on the working mode, users choose between a high table, standard table, or sofa.
Because KAYAK's teams are distributed worldwide, they often meet digitally. Modern communication technology is therefore naturally integrated into every room, ensuring that virtual collaboration feels as natural as a conversation around the table.
Developed together, digitally supported
We worked out the team's needs together with KAYAK: in workshops, sampling sessions, and VR sessions with 3D glasses, where the rooms could be walked through long before construction began.
During the execution phase, we scanned the construction progress weekly in 3D. This allowed the parent company in the USA to gain insight at any time, and ensured that all parties involved worked with the same up-to-date status.
07
Facts & Figures
Customer
KAYAK Europe GmbH
Status
Implemented
Area
850 m²
Team
Studio Nicotra
"Their expertise, warm communication, and dedication resulted in a functional and beautiful office where our team feels truly comfortable."
Fabienne Schwarz
Office Manager · KAYAK Europe GmbH
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Contact
Listening is our first draft.
Every project begins with a conversation. Tell us what you have in mind: a new working environment, a restaurant, a space for the future. We bring an open mind, curiosity, and experience in strategy, interior design, and lighting. We'd love to meet at our studio on Gutstrasse in Zurich. Or wherever your project is coming to life.