Inside General Catalyst’s Sleek New San Francisco Office

General Catalyst, a venture capital firm known for its investments in Airbnb, Snapchat and Warby Parker, recently reached out to architecture & interior design firm Rapt Studio to design their new office in San Francisco. The main goal was to create a space that was part office, part workshop and part event space.

“Making space for startups, entrepreneurs, and neighbors alike, General Catalyst’s office in South Park was designed to build momentum and open doors. An established player in the US venture capital market, General Catalyst has dramatically shaped multiple industries with early stage funding for companies from Airbnb and KAYAK to Snapchat and Warby Parker. They wanted their new San Francisco location to be a home base that was part workshop and part event space. We worked with them to make that happen. Transforming a historic space that had originally been a manufacturing building and then a department store, the new office is tailored to their needs with unique features like an incubator space where early stage companies can work side-by-side with General Catalyst investors and an insulated media booth for recording podcasts. There is ample space for social gatherings, and a transparent central conference room accommodates large meetings. Incorporating found and vintage furniture pieces, the space is heavily influenced by hospitality design. They also wanted a feature element that would call attention to the strong relationships they build with the entrepreneurs they fund. We designed a custom 12-foot-tall bookcase that’s prominently located in the entryway. The shelves are stacked with custom books featuring funded company’s names along the spines. This simple and elegant installation is a reminder of the mentorship and investment that is central to General Catalyst’s work,” says Rapt Studio

• Location: South Park – San Francisco, California
• Date completed: 2018
• Size: 3,000 square feet
• Design: Rapt Studio
• Photos: Yoshihiro Makino