Wix’s New Campus: A Small City in Its Own Right
The Wix campus in Glilot is no longer an office, but a small city spanning 80,000 square meters and hosting about 3,500 employees. Unlike the various buildings the company previously rented at the Tel Aviv Port, the new campus unites all employees under one roof, while maintaining the creative and light atmosphere that characterized the previous location.
The Design Challenge
Architect Moshe Tzur designed a building consisting of seven cubes, each four stories high, placed one on top of the other in a zigzag pattern. The ground floor, which connects all the cubes, serves as a vibrant social center that includes shared workspaces, restaurants, and sports facilities.
Designing the Workspace – Between Privacy and Collaboration
One of the key challenges in the design was creating a work environment that encourages collaboration, while maintaining concentration and a sense of privacy. Architect Danny Grynhaus describes the evolution in workspace design over the past decades:
“Over the past 20 years, the work environment has undergone a significant transformation: from working in small rooms, through the cubicle era, to rethinking during the Corona period about what the work environment should look like. On the one hand, we wanted to improve communication between employees, and on the other hand, we didn’t want completely open spaces. Ultimately, we included and preserved the way WIX worked at the port – working in teams. The end result is that people work in OPEN SPACE, but in rooms of ten, and communication between employees is very fruitful.”
This approach preserves the benefits of open spaces while maintaining a sense of team intimacy, enabling efficient work, fluid communication and increased creativity.
Innovative Interior Design
The campus’s impressive interior design was jointly designed by Greenhouse Architects and HLW International UK. The design, which incorporates Mediterranean elements, natural materials and pastel shades, draws inspiration from the creative and informal atmosphere of Wix’s previous offices at Tel Aviv Port. The project has managed to preserve the company’s spirit even in the new, large and complex environment.
Design Highlights:
Flexible Workspaces: The campus offers a wide range of workspaces, from open spaces to private meeting rooms, allowing employees to choose the environment that best suits their needs.
Connection to Nature: Extensive use of vegetation, natural lighting and natural materials creates a close connection between the building and the environment.
Social Facilities: The campus includes a wide range of social facilities, such as a gym, games rooms, restaurants and cafes, which encourage interaction between employees.
Unique Design: The use of innovative materials, such as a Polylam ceiling with a wood-tone Mesh, and concrete floors, creates a modern and elegant look.
The entrance ceiling – a groundbreaking design element
Atop the huge lobby at the entrance to the complex is a unique, custom-made metal ceiling that Hecht Efraim designed with Durlum from Germany. The innovative and unique design includes a system of 36 cm high Polylam metal beams, printed in a light wood tone and bent to create a subtle black separation strip. The Polylam beams are assembled in a cross shape and provide square openings in the ceiling to create a dynamic and unique experience. The combination of Polylam with an expanded mesh placed above the created openings provides a unique and first-of-its-kind ceiling system. The significant depth of the ceiling allows for the concealment of the technical systems, while creating an impressive design effect.
The choice of the wood tone is intended to soften the atmosphere and balance the cold appearance of the concrete-like floor and the exposed columns in the structure. The ceiling, as a dominant element in the space, provides an impressive visual experience immediately upon entering the building, with the view exposed to the entire space. It presents a solution that combines a unique design that matches Wix’s innovation, flexibility in installing lighting systems and a combination of aesthetics and functionality, while precisely adapting to the requirements The great space.
The result: a dynamic and inspiring workspace
The new Wix campus is a great example of how architectural design can improve the quality of life of employees and influence organizational culture. The unique design and diverse spaces encourage creativity, collaboration and mental well-being.
In conclusion
The Wix campus in Glilot is not just a workplace, but an innovative and creative home for the company’s employees. It combines functionality, aesthetic design and the use of innovative materials, and is an inspiration for other companies interested in building an innovative and inspiring workplace.
