Londoners are no strangers to the hustle and bustle of Shoreditch, a buzzing neighbourhood that’s home to Amazon’s largest corporate office in the UK. Built on the original site of Norton Folgate Power Station, which played a pioneering role in the development of electric power in the 19th century, the UK headquarters is the largest corporate office in Europe. With 75,000 employees nationwide, the UK headquarters brings Amazon’s diverse work culture to life.
I visited this office on a work trip. Come along with me on a day at work to check out some of my favourite features.
First glance inside
The entrance hall always brings new surprises: Whether it’s a notice for a special sale on amazon.co.uk or the latest Prime Video series (e.g. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), you are immersed into the Amazon spirit right from the start.
Coffee area on the first floor
The queue outside of Costa Coffee by Liverpool Street Station was way too long and I have a 9 a.m. call! It’s 8.45am and I quickly stop by the first floor to order my chai latte and get the first call off to a good start.
Thankfully, my desk is just a few floors up. If I ever need to know which floor I am on, the ceiling is a good indicator.
I look out for an available sound-proof phone booth and luckily I find one straight away. I head back to my workspace and am always amazed by the London views onto Liverpool Street.
I don’t know where the time has gone but after my back-to-back calls in the morning, it’s lunch time already - and I’ve only got 30 minutes, as I need to leave early to take the DLR to London City Airport.
Since I skipped breakfast, I am already feeling peckish. Off to the 10th floor, where I get my preferred quick lunch snack from Benugos: a halloumi wrap and a yoghurt.
If I had more time, I would play ping pong with my colleague on the 1st floor. But the team usually does this on Wednesdays when they know everyone is in and we can make a team activity out of it. A quick game or two always helps me come up with new ideas before my next meeting.
Next stop: the Prime floor! I have an in-person catch-up scheduled in one of their large meeting rooms that accommodate up to 12 people. Colleagues from all over the world joined the meeting via our conference call system (we must have covered 3 different time zones).
One of my colleagues was very excited to tell me about the cool sofa on floor 5 made out of a mini cooper. It’s fun to discover these new gems and how creative office furniture can be in this building.
I have a meeting with my mentor and we sit by one of my favourite kitchen tables on floor 6. The colorful décor reminds me of a sunny day in spring, which was a nice departure from the rainy day outside.
The building has 15 floors in total and you can only get to the top floor by taking two separate lifts. I forget how tall the building is sometimes, but a quick look through the glass windows that separate each floor is a good reminder – that is if it doesn’t give you vertigo!
Every floor has its unique attributes - no floor is the same. Check out some of the quirky wallpaper, funky decorations, and unique office furniture that stand out.
There is a working place for everyone whether you prefer a more standard, colorful or nature-based surrounding.
The day goes by in a flash and it's time to wrap up my final tasks. I close my laptop and head out the door, passing some fun wall art along the way.
