Ad tech company Appodeal plays into the stereotype that well-funded start-ups have the coolest office spaces in town, even when that town happens to be Minsk, Belarus. Their new 1000 sqm office, designed by Studio11, occupies an entire five storey detached building, including a basement level, three work floors, a terrace and a patio. Each open-plan work floor features the same self-contained resources, including coffee facilities, lounge area and meeting room, and are distinguished by varying layouts and use of colour and material. A Mondrian influence is evident across many aspects of the design. Signature grid formations are evoked through coloured steel beams and screens, and primary colours dominate. Black graphics on the floor and walls serve a functional purpose as a ‘navigation system’, pointing in the direction of different rooms and departments. Small graphic icons, such as a pair of glasses for ‘administration’, makes it feel as though the office is a physical manifestation of an app, appropriate considering Appodeal’s bread and butter. Most of the floors, furniture, walls, and fixtures are kept bright and white, contrasting bold injections of colour by way of red, yellow, blue and aqua volumes dispersed throughout. Textural materials such as glossy tiles and velvet stand out amongst predominantly matte finishes. Playful elements such as mirrored panels, arched entryways, and built-in seating nooks add to the overall funhouse feel. There’s even a bar on the outdoor terrace with views across to the city centre. Anything to foster creativity and innovative thinking, right? In true tech start-up style, the ground floor is an intentional no work ‘play’ zone, featuring a massage room, lounges, a large informal meeting room, and the ubiquitous ping-pong table. Seriously, when did ping pong become such a necessary synonymy with start-up culture!? We wouldn’t complain about a massage room, though…