M+A Architects recently completed the interior and experiential design work on the new White Castle Home office in Columbus, Ohio. The new building – which serves as the headquarters of the fast-food chain known for its sliders and onion rings – has three floors featuring iconic brand memorabilia and shared work spaces.
“Partnering alongside an iconic brand like White Castle, known for its bold work culture and cult fan following, made this design project such a fun and collaborative experience for us,” said Carrie Boyd, principal and director of interior design for M+A.
To get a feel for the project, M+A’s design team worked a shift at White Castle, toured multiple manufacturing facilities and visited the chain’s bakery and meat plants to get a true understanding of the company’s work processes, team member interaction, work culture and guiding principles.
Located at 555 W. Goodale St. in Columbus, the White Castle Home Office includes flexible spaces, private focus rooms, a library, flexible cafe space, an indoor fitness area and a mother’s nursing suite.
The building also features interactive design elements focused on White Castle’s history and fanbase. There’s a spiral slide that runs from the second floor to the first floor and a wall panel inspired by White Castle’s slider boxes, the distinctive boxes that hold the restaurant’s famed miniature hamburgers.
“My favorite thing about this project was workingg with the people at White Castle,” said Alicia Huber, experiential design lead on the development. “They’re truly incredible people who believe in the White Castle culture and know so much about the history and brand. Collaborating with them played a huge part in the unique storytelling throughout their new home office.”
Another design element is the timeline of White Castle’s 98-year history. This timeline stretches between three floors. There’s even a throne – because every castle needs a throne – in the lobby. A local artisan custom made the throne. Visitors will also find the desk of White Castle’s founder on the first floor, complete with historical audio and video features.
The core and shell of the building was provided by Architectural Alliance, while M+A provided the interior and experiential design. POD Design provided landscape architectural services, and Elford was the general contractor.
