YouTube HQ
Deliberately low-cost build
- Location
- London, UK
- Services
- Interior Design, Workplace
- Sector
- Video Sharing Company
- Area
- 25,000 SQ. FT.
![replica set of del boy's living room from Only Fools and Horses](https://penson.co/uploads/cache/image_2000_webp/uploads/media/5d010ffeb8ea8/0829.webp?originalExtension=jpg)
For one of the world’s most successful entertainment-based websites, it felt only right to base their HQ design around that element of entertaining. Cue a back of stage atmosphere, a central stage set and Del Boy’s living room.
![youtube 'back of stage' rows of red & white seating with black walls, exposed services and yellow submarine doors](https://penson.co/uploads/cache/image_2000_webp/uploads/media/5d010ffad9475/0738.webp?originalExtension=jpg)
![a pod-like room with silver walls, a silver curved sofa and cushions with a black door with a metal wheel as its handle](https://penson.co/uploads/cache/image_2000_webp/uploads/media/5d0110040eecd/0923.webp?originalExtension=jpg)
'With Del’s famous cocktail bar, complete with shaker, glass and umbrella, it is great fun to work at YouTube London. Del’s twin porcelain dogs, 60’s bamboo-shoot wallpaper mixed with Granddad’s awful choice in curtains and carpet, chintz drinks trolley and life ring, creates just the right level of really loveable-rogue taste.'
![back of stage exposed stud work chipboard walls and black cushioned walls with people sat in nooks working & also a corridor with people walking through](https://penson.co/uploads/cache/image_2000_webp/uploads/media/5d011002b34ab/0880.webp?originalExtension=jpg)
![close up of del's replica drinks bar featuring shaker, glass and umbrella](https://penson.co/uploads/cache/image_2000_webp/uploads/media/5d0117d7cdc0e/0820-1.webp?originalExtension=jpg)
Another element of the Google programme was a separate yet connected HQ for YouTube. So, we immediately got heavily inspired by Britain’s most watched UK comedy TV show… Only Fools and Horses. We created a central stage set that was a carbon copy of Del Boy’s living room from Mandela House in Peckham.
Around this workplace interior design, we created shrewd, multi-functioning workspaces – exposed studwork and framing was deliberately made to have a poor-quality feel, adding the fun factor but also kept costs down – cushty!
Eco-Giants
Compliant with Google’s Red List, & only a few points short of LEED Platinum