Here’s a look at the new headquarters of Tencent, China’s gaming-to-social media giant
Technology companies from Google to Facebook have redefined the way corporate offices should look, with open-plan collaborative spaces, entertainment and leisure options blurring the lines between work and play
Summer has come early to the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen and, even by mid-morning, this day in May was baking hot.
But that has not deterred the busload of tourists who were posing in front of Tencent Holdings’ new corporate headquarters.
They arrange themselves before the metallic sign set in a rectangular pool, shouting instructions in excited chatter. Nearby, security guards sought refuge under the shade provided by an awning.
The South China Morning Post was invited to tour Tencent’s new digs, the first overseas media outlet to tour the building, we were told. We beat a grateful retreat into the cool confines of the air-conditioned lobby, to be greeted by a carefully manicured bonsai and rock garden, and huge bamboo blinds that cascade down three sides of interior of the building.
Visitors were encouraged to shake their smartphones, an action that would be familiar to the 1 billion users of Tencent’s flagship WeChat platform. The action is used to, among other things, search for fellow users looking to have a chat with a random stranger.