Over the course of 2019 and 2020, Muse & Co., the one-of-a-kind design firm that is known for turning wild ideas into amazing spaces, reimagined Crunchyroll's San Francisco Headquarters into a fully immersive experience. Crunchyroll, one of the world's largest anime streaming and content companies, briefed Muse & Co. to create a fully immersive and authentic Japanese and anime-inspired themed environment for their sprawling 80,000 square-foot space HQ. To fully immerse themselves in the project and to deliver an authentic result that celebrates Japan's culture, architecture and style, the Muse & Co. team took the entire company on a trip to the land of the rising sun.
"Any time we design a space reflecting another culture, genre or theme, we know we owe it to the people who live that experience to immerse ourselves and learn as much as possible. We aim to appreciate, not appropriate. For Crunchyroll, we spent 3 weeks in Japan, touring the sites that ultimately inspired our vision for the project.” - Noah Veneklasen, Founder & CEO of Muse & Co.
As you enter the building, you immediately escape downtown San Francisco to find yourself in the heart of Tokyo sans jet lag or a passport stamp. The first floor is a fully immersive Tokyo experience. On the upper floors, you’ll find conference rooms, kitchenettes, and specialty areas - all connecting you back to the roots of anime in Japan.
Muse & Co. partnered with KBM Hogue, the design-centric furniture brand, to find seamless and engaging furniture solutions for each unique space. SenovvA, the sensory innovation experts, were tapped for building-wide AV installations.
While I'm jonesing for a trip to the real Japan perhaps a little visit to Crunchyroll HQ is the best next bet. And what an unreal environment to work! Samurai hats off to the entire Muse & Co. team.
