Akamai Moves into New Headquarters at 145 Broadway in Kendall Square

On November 1, Akamai Technologies held a ribbon-cutting celebration marking the grand opening of their new global headquarters at 145 Broadway in Kendall Square. The new headquarters consolidates six of the internet technology company’s local offices, allowing 2,000 employees in the area to work together under one roof.  The new lobby and office space designed by Sasaki is housed within a base building by architect Pickard Chilton and architect of record Stantec. Responding to Akamai’s most pressing need to unite teams across a new 480,000 square foot office, Sasaki’s design prioritizes connection within the company, articulated best by the project’s vision statement: “To connect the world, we must first connect to each other.”

The colorful "Akamile" is a mile-long walking path created by Sasaki, the interior architect behind the office design. The connective pathway links all 19 floors of the new Akamai office, creating a band of social and collaborative space that connects teams across the 480,000 SF. The gradient runs between Akamai's brand colors of blue and orange, doubling as a fully integrated branding and wayfinding feature that sets this office apart as a beacon within Kendall Square.

Inspiring productive collaboration across the building’s 19-floor interior posed a challenge, but the Sasaki design team saw opportunity for innovative design. Diverse destinations—including specialty coffee bar, ping pong arena, and an inviting gaming lair, among others—encourage movement across the entire building, and a walkable physical path between the top and bottom floors of the building guides employees through common spaces on each floor. The path, which spans approximately one mile, is cleverly dubbed the “Akamile.”

Diverse destinations along a single walking path get people to move between all 19 floors, ensuring the Akamai workforce is staying connected to one another and given the mix of social, focused, and collaborative spaces they need to do their best work.

Photos: Sasaki, Interior Architect. ©Anton Grassl

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