Microsoft calls new German headquarters "the biggest shift since the industrial revolution"

Microsoft has just opened their new headquarters in Munich, Germany, and being no stranger to hyperbole, feels the building will revolutionize how the company works going forward.

“Silo mentality and compartmentalization have had their day with us,” said Sabine Bendiek, chief executive of Microsoft Germany. “We consider our new office an open platform and interdisciplinary laboratory for new ideas.”

Calling it a Smart Workspace, Microsoft said they plan to revolutionize its workplace with digital reforms and flexible working times, and  said it plans to abolish fixed working times and that it will not be compulsory for employees to be in the office.

The new headquarters has been designed to facilitate team projects and interdisciplinary networking among colleagues, she added. Microsoft would encourage more self-determination and personal productivity as well as a higher degree of flexibility.

The building certainly seems snazzy, with and open plan design and  digital billboards in every nook and cranny, including hanging from the ceiling in the atrium.

See a video showing off the structure below.