If you glance at the Orchard Road shopping belt from a distance, you may be able to spot one of Singapore tech giant’s new headquarters.
Located in the heart of Singapore’s shopping activities, Lazada officially opened its headquarters this month. The Southeast Asia online marketplace, owned by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, is the anchor tenant of the 11-storey building at 51 Bras Basah Road.
In honour of the new tenant, the building was renamed Lazada One. It’s a stone’s throw away from schools (Singapore Management University and School of the Arts), shopping malls (Plaza Singapura), and hotels (Rendezvous Hotel), making it a convenient location for overseas business partners and clients to have access to, as well as for students who are interested in working or getting an internship with Lazada.
The headquarters can house teams from Singapore and the region, and employees from various departments – developers to marketing – are all under one roof.
The office is in between two MRT stations Bras Basah and Bencoolen, making it a very convenient location for employees to come to work. There are also eateries like a food court, Huggs Coffee, and Starbucks located within Lazada One, so during lunchtime, the office workers don’t need to step out of the building to get their tummies filled.
The grand Lazada entrance
When I arrive at the lobby, I see iconic displays of Lazada at the Visitor Centre.
After checking in and registering at the entrance, I scan my QR code ticket to enter through the gantry. This QR code ticket is given only to guests while tenants have an app for employees that generates a QR code to enter the gantry.
I take the lift to the second floor and a Lazada spokesperson introduces me to the different floors for background information: Lazada rents Lazada One as an anchor tenant (the first, second, fifth, eighth, ninth, and tenth floors).
Creative, comfortable, and cheery spaces
We make our way to the fifth floor that is mainly for Singapore operations – Lazada has taken up the entire floor for that. The entrance is grand and spacious with Lazada’s logo bright and welcoming once you enter and there are comfortable cushy seats placed everywhere. It did not feel like a work space at all!
Some Lazadians (a cute name the employees at Lazada call themselves) are gathering there waiting for their colleagues as it is lunch hour. A buzz of chatter and energy fills the space as people are exchanging work ideas even at the doorway.
Indeed these collaborative spaces are certainly where ideas and creativity can flow. With bright and cheery colours seen everywhere from the furniture to the wall decor, it brightens up the mood of anyone who walks in.
On the main wall, there are icons like bicycles, skateboards, and electronics, which according to the Lazada spokesperson, represent the suite of offerings Lazada has to offer as an e-commerce marketplace.
Close to the entrance is the pantry, and I notice that it’s fully stocked with snacks and fruits, as well as vending machines with free flow of drinks.
Positive quotes are hanging on walls and at some corners of the office, such as the one seen in this image. On other floors, some positive quotes from Alibaba’s founder are seen too.
Conducive and unique spots for work and discussions
I am then led to another floor where I get to see some employees from the regional team working. There is a charging station for employees to charge their gadgets at one corner, thoughtfully set up by Lazada if anyone forgets to bring their cables.
I notice that people are working everywhere, even in the pantries, and there are soundproof pods that employees can use to have a call or a meeting.
I enter a pod to test out its comfortability. The room certainly shuts off any surrounding sound, and is great for holding meetings and conferences with counterparts and clients overseas or in other offices.
The Lazada spokesperson explains that the work concept at Lazada is a hotdesking one, although each team is given their designated areas. Hence there are lockers with a rustic look placed around for use. The lockers remind me of my school days with the metal framing and decals on them.
There are also larger meeting rooms for Lazada’s Seller Academy classes and for teams to book for discussions. The meeting rooms can be used to hold training sessions, including classes for Lazada’s sellers to share and exchange best practices.
As I walk around, I notice that the rooms are uniquely named, reflecting Lazada’s recognition of Singapore’s heritage and the country’s importance to the company. I spot meeting rooms with the names Haji Lane, Seletar Mall, Marina Bay Sands, and even East Point Mall.
Plenty of rest areas for staff to catch their breath
The unique pantry designs per floor are the showstoppers. There’s a cafe-themed pantry and even a coffee shop themed one inspired by HDB void decks. As per the fifth floor, other floors are also well stocked up with snacks, coffee, and drinks.
These spaces are great for employees to take breaks after long meetings and discussions. There are also walls filled with art decor, making the office feel less like an office, and is a breakaway from those sterile and boring office spaces of the past.
Wellness and recreational zones
The office provides wellness rooms for men and women. In them, there are cushioned chairs and curtains that you can draw for some privacy to take a nap or read a book. For nursing mothers, this can be a space for rest. There’s also a fridge for them to store things in the wellness room.
There are also shower rooms that are well equipped and hygienic, convenient for workers to use before going for exercise classes after work, or for an afternoon shower to energise themselves.
Not forgetting some open spaces for recreational activities – there’s a ping pong table in an open area that I believe some employees will likely gather around to destress after a long day at work.
Lazada’s hiring, interested to join?
Having been to other tech giants’ offices like Google and Facebook, I can say that Lazada’s new headquarters has certainly clinched the status as one of the best office spaces in Singapore to work in.
The emphasis on making its office spaces conducive and welcoming are to attract talents to join this growing company.
The office move also marks Lazada’s 10th year anniversary, and signifies where it has come so far. It celebrates this milestone by officially opening its new swanky HQ and to some long-term employees, this likely feels like a reward to them for staying with the company through its journey.
For newcomers, an office like this will attract them to want to sign up with the company too.
Its conducive office environment with the various amenities makes workers want to work their best and be the most productive – with its thoughtful interior design, well-stocked pantries, dedicated collaborative spaces for discussions, private booths, and rest areas.
The delicate interior details and carefully thought out design to cater to its workers’ needs for work and rest shows that Lazada truly cares for its employees. The company rented more office spaces just to create open and collaborative spaces bearing in mind the workers’ welfare.
Interested to join Lazada? It’s currently hiring. In fact, a check on LinkedIn shows that the e-commerce giant is recruiting hundreds of staff.
New job openings include social content managers, marketing specialists, business development professionals, analysts, cybersecurity experts, and developers.
For an employee, this certainly is a great office environment to work hard and hustle in. What better way to participate and be in the front seat of the action in Southeast Asia’s fast-growing e-commerce industry than to join a tech giant like this one.
This article was written in collaboration with Lazada.
Featured Image Credit: Vulcan Post, Lazada
