Penguin Random House Canada

Workplace / Toronto, ON / 45,000 sq ft

With the merger of publishing heavyweights Penguin and Random House, consolidating under a shared vision and roof required reading between the lines.

A one hundred percent open office rewrites how people at Penguin Random House work. Gone are the 200+ square foot offices filled with stacks of books and papers, in favour of an open environment conducive not only to working alone, but to working together – on a scale that was impossible when divided by walls and stacks.

Penguin Random House reception area with white desk with logo and bookshelves in background

Celebrating two publishing heavyweights in one office

Rotate Your Device Penguin Random House workspace with desks on right and booths on left

Upholstered break-out spaces create a semi-private space for informal meetings

Celebrating the shared love of literature, the fully open environment is littered with nooks and crannies for reading and meetings of all sizes.

Corridors are lined with custom bookshelves and seating spaces, while larger meeting rooms are outfitted with mobile walls that open to create a large conferencing space for seminars, town halls, etc. Finally, an interconnecting stair with sculptural bookcase grounds the space and links the 2.5 floors. At Penguin Random House everyone is out in the open, starting with the CEO.

Rotate Your Device Penguin Random House reading area with red carpeting, bookshelves, and upholstered bench in front of meeting room

Centrally located phone booths create a space to talk away from desks

Rotate Your Device Penguin Random House hallway with wood floors and meeting room with black metal framed glass wall

Circulations spaces become elevated with custom millwork designed to celebrate books and reading

"The design theme was 'all things books'. We wanted to create something that referenced the feeling of a library or den."
Darryl Balaski
Principal

A workplace that feels uniquely Penguin Random House

Rotate Your Device Penguin Random House meeting room with large wood conference table and wall of built in bookshelves
Rotate Your Device Penguin Random House booth with red walls and seating next to open area with low bookshelf
Rotate Your Device Penguin Random House walkway with bleached wood floors and natural wood room dividers
Rotate Your Device Penguin Random House boardroom with large wood table and wood paneling on walls
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