Schrödinger New York
Magnifying Life and Science in the Workplace
Schrödinger's new five-story office in Times Square office, brings science to life in the workplace. As a leading scientific software and biotechnology company, Schrodinger partnered with brandx to design a space that highlights technology, health, well-being, and sustainability. With over 300 branded elements, the design uses clear signage, intuitive wayfinding, and custom graphics to create a consistent look across all floors, reflecting the company’s innovative work in science and software.
Sector: Science + Technology
Size: 109,000 sf
Location(s): New York, NY
Recognition: 2022 NYCxDesign Awards Finalist in the Environmental Impact Category
International Design Awards Finalist in the Wayfinding & Environmental Graphics Design Category
FX Award 2023 Shortlist in the Graphics: Signage and Wayfinding Category
The Connecting Chain: Bonding Floors and Communities
Each floor is assigned a specific theme: chemistry, biology, computer science, physics, and materials. The idea behind these themes is to create an intuitive wayfinding system, helping employees and visitors immediately know which floor they are on. This approach uses clear, discipline-specific graphics, like neurons for the biology floor or a graphite molecule arranged as a clean pattern for the chemistry floor. The themes also appear in the names of meeting rooms, such as Catalysis on the chemistry floor or Photon on the physics floor.
To complement these themed floors, brandx helped establish an art curation program that highlights employees’ creative work in a rotating gallery. Each exhibition aligns with the floor’s theme, for example, wildlife photography for the biology floor, creating a visual and conceptual connection between the workspace graphics, room names, and the artwork. This program provides an engaging annual event where the Schrödinger community comes together to celebrate colleagues’ creativity.
Forms Through a Microscopic Lens: Abstracted Geometries Create an Experience
To connect all five floors, signage, wayfinding, and glass film are used consistently. The designs are based on simple shapes drawn from microscopic imagery. Circular room signs resemble individual chemical atoms, and floor directories feature bold numbers with directional guidance inspired by the periodic table. The glass film uses a triangular pattern that references geometric chemical structures studied at Schrödinger and is arranged to provide varying levels of privacy depending on the room. The feature backsplash in the pantry is made of hexagonal tiles, referencing organic chemical structures and arranged to display Schrödinger’s equation.
As A Matter of Fact: Analyzing our Elemental Language
At a molecular level, Schrödinger’s work and culture are highlighted throughout the space with informative and interactive “easter eggs.” Across the five floors, diagrammatic and text-based decals show the material makeup of surrounding elements. Whether displaying the chemical composition of drywall and glass or counting the number of illuminated diodes in the Times Square Ball, these discovery moments engage employees and visitors as they explore the space.
Photography: Pavel Bendov, Carolina Madrigal, Chanel Dehond
Videography: Trey Hicks