Notion’s new San Francisco HQ is an ode to classic design

Ever since offices have existed, they’ve projected a certain image of the companies who build them. And in the tech space, this has usually meant a forward-looking aesthetic—Apple’s spaceship, Amazon’s geodesic domes, and Bell Labs’ mirrored complex. It’s a fitting, and often repeated, conceit for businesses that are designing the future. (Or want to be perceived as such.) [Photo: courtesy IA Interior Architects] This pattern is part of the reason why the new San Francisco headquarters of Notion, a productivity software company that pivoted to AI a few years ago, feels unexpected. Designed by IA Interior Architects, the 100,000-square-foot space located in a circa 1907 building expresses a more historic sensibility. To wit: Its lobby is furnished with a book-matched burl reception desk, antique Persian carpets, gauzy white curtains, and an authentic Gerrit Rietveld chair. Noticeably absent? Logos and screens. [Photo: courtesy IA Interior Architects] According to Michael McGinley, Notion’s global head of real estate, the brand and identity are reflected in the atmosphere, which is quite soothing, thanks to walls painted in Benjamin Moore Cream Froth and lighting set to 2700K—a colo…