As our team in New York continues to expand, creating a place of work that is comfortable, inspiring, and which enables people to be their best was becoming increasingly important. But the wait is over, and the long-anticipated office renovation is now complete with teams moving back in earlier this week. This has been an enormous project, and the creation of this space didn't happen overnight - the plans have been brewing since last year, and given the scale of the works, the team even had to relocate into a temporary office for a couple of months.
Led by Ellie De Forest, Head of Business Operations and Projects, the space has been entirely remodeled, with new open plan desks replacing the old fashioned cubicles, more than double the number of meeting rooms and a revamped kitchen and pantry to name just a few of the key highlights.
The space
The 16 meeting rooms were all named after cultural icons, chosen by the New York team. They include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Rosa Parks, Satya Nadella and there's a whole 'Sports Alley' section where the meeting rooms are named after US sport personalities - athlete Simone Biles, basketball player LeBron James, Paralympic athlete Oksana Masters, and baseball star Aaron Judge.
One thing that hasn't changed about the office is the incredible view which the team has on tap. Being on the 26th floor means the team can see across the New York skyline, with some meeting rooms being on the corner of the building and having dual aspect views. Just look at that!
Previously, the NY team worked in booths, which weren't conducive to collaboration or getting to know colleagues. The new open plan space is much more sociable and offers the team room to grow.
The renovation of 605 Third Avenue has literally made a night-and-day change in how the space works. Where office walls and cubicle partitions once made much of the space gloomy, the new open plan and abundant glass make for a much brighter, more inviting office.
There are also plenty of new breakout and collaboration spaces for the team to work and hold informal meetings in.
And to top it all off, the facilities have been greatly improved with a significantly upgraded pantry, which now features a snazzy coffee machine, locker space for the team to be able to store things overnight, and a fantastic new town hall space with top of the range audio and visual technology.
The opening
The office was officially opened on Tuesday 2nd May and the team has spent the week getting settled in, before many of them fly to Barcelona for this year's Shoptalk Europe. The team celebrated with a breakfast, before getting stuck in and making use of the amazing new space.
Hyve's CEO, Mark Shashoua has had plans to upgrade the office in mind for a long time:
I am delighted that Hyve's New York base has finally become a reality. For me, this is a hugely significant moment for our company - one that I have looked forward to ever since we acquired Shoptalk and Groceryshop in 2019. Our investment in this workspace reflects our ambition to continue to grow and make a name for ourselves in the US.