reMarkable’s Oslo HQ gives its employees room to think

Photography: Susann Daljord / reMarkable

Alongside local architecture, design and urban planning firm Grape Architects, Norwegian tech innovator reMarkable has reimagined its headquarters in Majorstuen, Oslo. Taking aesthetic notes from their signature blend of analogue and digital, the project concept centres around a campus library space, with an abundance of arched wooden bookshelves sitting under a 7-metre vaulted ceiling. These mirror and create a repetitive motif of the much larger structural arches in the ceiling above, which are complemented by a spiral staircase leading from the main library into a mezzanine gallery, suggesting the nostalgic atmosphere of an old train station.

Despite this understated, bookish aesthetic – speaking to the distraction-free, paper-inspired tablets the brand is known for – the Oslo workspace sets itself apart by providing a choice of uniquely stylised ‘Rooms to Think’. Each with their own design theme (including a Nordic cabin, a train compartment and even a spaceship), these rooms provide a dedicated space for employees to conduct quiet focused work, creative brainstorming or simply reflect on recent meetings to plan next steps. Breakout zones, reading nooks and warmly lit desk cubicles also line the perimeter of the main library area, catering to coworking and collaboration as well as independent focus.

In pursuit of consciously prioritising employee wellbeing, reMarkable also incorporated an indoor ‘Zen Garden’ space with open bench seating, houseplants and a ridged carpet evoking raked sand, as well as a shared roof garden on the eighth floor. These inclusive, considered features are accompanied by a weekly ‘Zen’ session, in which employees are promised a morning without meetings or even traditional computer monitors – all screens, aside from the brand’s own tablets, are temporarily banned. Plenty of natural light also filters through considerable windows on the mezzanine floor, effectively brightening an otherwise rich, earthy palette of browns, greys and greens for a workspace that filters out a noisy outside world in favour of introspection.