The New Cisco Paris Office: Bringing the ‘Magnet not Mandate’ Mantra to Life

We at Cisco consider ourselves hybrid natives. We were fully flexible long before the pandemic and continue to attribute zero success metrics to office footfall. Indeed, our ethos is that offices should be collaboration spaces, while “heads down” work and calls can be done at home – and that the designation of this time and place can be made by our employees. In short, we aim for our offices to attract employee attendance by choice, not mandate.

Today, the future of work is embodied in our latest collaboration centre in Paris. Moving from a more traditional office setting on the peripheries of Paris, the new Cisco HQ is located in the “Triangle d’Or”, the central business district adjacent to the Arc de Triomphe.

The location is significant. Not only does it represent our investment in central Parisian real estate and modernising historic architecture, but it also checks numerous strategic boxes across sustainability, accessibility, innovation, conscious design and desirability – a building that truly “earns the commute”.

The new space is comprised of buildings from various periods, including a townhouse built in the 1820s during the Court of Napoleon. Heritage building of this nature are commonplace in Europe’s city centres, but they are not often energy efficient and retrofitting them with new technologies will be pivotal for progress towards zero emissions.

These retrofits, however, are not without their challenges! The regulations and restrictions placed upon them often mean zero alterations are permitted to walls, floors, ceilings or doors. To ensure the space was as innovative, inviting and collaborative as our employees expect, the team had to be extra creative to ensure no room was below spec. A mix of portable technology and screen mounts, soft furnishings instead of the usual acoustic balancing wall panels, and painstaking cabling navigation brought the Cisco vision to life in even the most historic of rooms.

We’ve created a collaborative environment – going from 30% to 70% collaborative space and areas that foster the social needs of teams. The technology within just works and our employees, partners or customers can access us easily by foot, bike or public transport. There are six terraces, multiple zen spaces, an auditorium, engineering lab and spacious areas for social events. Choose between the great eateries in the district or enjoy something in the Cisco bistro. It is a joyful experience to work within the walls of Cisco France HQ, with full access to those who work remotely. It’s the hybrid dream.

Ultimately every design rethink, every hurdle and every euro was worth it to bring to life the living, breathing example of an office with magnetic appeal in the heart of Paris.

Reimagine your office to handle every hybrid work scenario with smart, sustainable, and secure spaces. Learn more about Cisco’s hybrid workplace solutions.