April 18, 2019

Text: Jesse Dorris

Valerio Dewalt Train Blends Virtual and Natural Worlds for YouTube Headquarters Lobby

When YouTube took over the former Gap headquarters in San Bruno, California, it knew the 5,000-square-foot lobby required a refresh. The space needed to be welcoming, adaptable, and a versatile showcase not just for the brand, but also the work of YouTube’s 2 billion users.

Enter the team at Valerio Dewalt Train, who reduced the double-height atrium to its metallic structure illuminated by a full-length skylight. A green wall and stacked benches on the north side offer room to socialize. But the heart of the project is a digital wall. “It leverages a massive low-resolution screen into the wall construction,” says the firm’s principal Bill Turner, “creating an abstract dynamic backdrop to the space.”

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The LEDs are embedded directly into Camira’s Gravity acoustic fabric. Photography by Mariko Reed.

There are 35,000 LEDs embedded around the displays, which are activated when users approach medallions on the floor beneath ceiling sensors. “They embody YouTube’s core principals while fostering a sense of discovery,” says studio director for media objectives Crystal Adams. Or, in other words, to click and play.

Keep scrolling for more images of the project > > 

A social area gathers chairs by Muuto and Andreu World around Schiavello tables, with custom banquettes upholstered in Rivet by Camira. Photography by Mariko Reed.


Corral poufs sit before a green wall by GSky. Photography by Mariko Reed.
Magis Spun chairs rest upon floors of polished concrete and ash. Photography by Mariko Reed.
The reception desk is Russian Birch plywood with steel powder-coated in a glossy black and frosted Plexiglass. Photography by Mariko Reed.
Medallions are painted and sealed into the concrete finish. Photography by Mariko Reed.

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