Scalar has collaborated again with Influenster to design their 18,000 square-foot HQ in the West Village after the company more than tripled in size over the past two years. Influenster is the leading product discovery and reviews Platform.

“We had developed a great rapport with Influenster’s partners – Aydin Acar and Elizabeth Scherle – in our first collaboration in Tribeca, we got their daring vision.  For us, in this new amazing space, the project experience and activities flows were critical but so was our eco-friendly motto.” said Julio Salcedo. “More than being conscious sourcing the right products, we strove to re-adapt as much form the previous spaces as possible: from mechanical systems to enclosures. It was challenging but ultimately so rewarding. Our play on surfaces and patterns played a key in making this transformation”.

Located at 435 Hudson Street, the Influenster HQ speaks to the fun, vibrant, and colorful culture of the company. The social media marketing platform was founded on the mission to give consumers the outlet to discover, review, and share, and the space was designed to reflect that ethos. The complexity of the retrofitting is rendered invisible by inventiveness of programs, spaces, and the splashy surfaces and colors that newly defined them.

The entrance of Influenster lays the foundation for what’s to come. A mural by Shawn Bullen explains the meaning of Influenster’s mission, Vox Populi, which is latin for the voice of the people. Upon entering the space, the curvilinear reception desk and metal-chained curtain printed with the Influenster logo serve as a focal point from which a circular footpath is created around it.

In the main office, an Influenster mural, also by Shawn Bullen, envelopes the entire wall. It is illustrated with design elements integral to the company’s foundation such as the VoxFox (Influenster’s mascot), Chaplin (the leader of the dog pack), emojis, star ratings and more. Shawn painted the exterior of the main conference room with splotches and hues of the company color, a shade of atomic tangerine, to give the space a playful touch. The open floor plan allows for the free exchange of conversations and sharing of ideas while the myriad of conference rooms and nooks allow employees to retreat to should they need to shake up their work momentum.

The conference rooms are all themed based on different badges that Influenster offers its members: beauty, fashionista, techie, etc. Badges are offered to members based on their activity on the platform aligned with their preferences and interests. Similarly, each room is designed based on each lifestyle bucket, e.g., the fitness room is decked out with weights, medicine ball chairs and rocking chairs to keep occupants of the room active and fit.

The library located in the northern wing of the office is filled with professional development resources for employees to keep learning and growing. They can climb up the rolling ladder, find a title that they are looking for, and relax in the quiet alcove with a book in hand.

The Great Outdoors a.k.a. the “living room” of the office is punctuated with lively accents and colors. Patches of artificial turfs are put in place of carpets to give the illusion of an outdoor terrace accompanied with real vantage points of the Manhattan skyline and the Empire State Building. One wall is flanked with cascading, giant stadium steps that double up as seats for employees during weekly huddles, while the other wall is lined with a long bar top table for working with a view. By the stage, the wall is printed with the quote that fuels Influenster’s purpose: “A brand is no longer what we tell consumer it is, it is what consumers tell each other it is.” - Scott Cook, Co-Founder of Intuit and Director at Procter & Gamble. The Great Outdoors was designed to be roomy enough for yoga sessions, happy hours, filming of YouTube videos with clients and more.

The open layout of the pantry allows for a seamless transition between the living and dining spaces, allowing employees to work, eat, and play all in one area. The kegerators dispense both cold brew and draft beer; the cabinets are filled with healthy snacks for employees to stay nourished throughout the day. Next to pantry is the vanity area where people can get ready using the 8-feet tall selfie mirror that is one of only seven mirrors to exist worldwide; other owners of this mirror include Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton. The InfluenSTAR room next to the vanity area is wrapped with a signature Lovewall mural by James Goldcrown that offers a stunning backdrop for more photographic opportunities. Last but not least, the studio is where all photo and video shoots occur to take the company’s content creation to the next level.

Influenster’s new HQ was designed by Scalar Architecture and project managed by Gizem Taner.