Source: challenges.fr website

Thanks to Barilzar for the link and the translations from French.

Hello everyone,

this is a translation of an article (or, rather, a picture gallery) of the new Wargaming EU offices (seen from stylistic point of view) with the comments from Jean Nouvel, a well-known French architect. The article is about design and architecture mostly, Wargaming name is there just to “sell it”, but let me tell you, seeing the pics in connection with today’s “insider” post about WG EU not being able to afford good translators… you know, I can see why.

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“The Horizons tower” (la Tour Horizons) in Boulogne-Billancourt was built by the ateliers Jean Nouvel*. The construction work started in Feb 2009 and was completed in Nov 2011. * (means Jean Nouvel Workshop, but it’s a kind of posh name for an architect office; you know, the guy is french AND trendy…)

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This tower is a stack of three distinct buildings of radically different styles and size. Its total height is 88,35 meters and 19 floors

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La Tour Horizons is located in a economically mutating* neighborhood in Boulogne Billancourt. Jean Nouvel, its architect, qualifies it of “a non-tower”, a kinda 3-stages rocket with suspended gardens, working as green/eco lungs against the city pollution. *means there was factories but now offices, if you know what I mean

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For now the tower host mainly the HQ of Sodexo, the catering specialist, the Laboratoire Roche* and, since May 2nd, the European videogame studio Wargaming. In total, 38.600 squared meters of office. Including 17.000 sq meters still for rent…
*Laboratoire Roche, a pharmaceutical company/brand

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The lobby shows a vast waiting room with oversized sofas

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The entry hall/lobby of the Horizons Tower offers a crushing feeling of immensity

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Wargaming’s office main entrance at the 4th floor is very discrete. The Belarussian studio’s logo is printed on the glass door. A sas/airlock to a universe contrasting with the general mood of the Horizons tower. Here, the employees are (comparatively to the other offices) more often in short pants and flipflops.

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Because once in the F2P specialist offices, the mood is clearly more décontract (cool) than in the other floors of the Horizons Tower

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The lobby/entrance/waiting room inside wargaming

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The Belarussian developer has been founded in 1998 by Victor Kislyi. It now employs 3.300 people worldwide, including 172 in its Parisian office specialized in publishing, marketing and community management. Here, there are no devs. Those ones are dispatched in the 7 development studios of the firm, which owns 16 offices worldwide.

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In total, 21 nationalities are presents in the Boulogne Billancourt Office. Only 20% of the employees are french. There, people speak as well Polish as Korean or Spanish. But the common (to all) language is English. One person is full-time occupied by taking care of the newcomers, for their installation/moving into France.

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The publisher is specialized in F2P videogames. Its bestsellers are WOT, WOWp, he commercialized on PC, consoles and Ipad. In total, 7 games including 2 currently in development. (in photo: pieces of decoration in an office)

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Available since June 26th in the appstore, WOT Blitz was N°2 of the “all genre” top selling apps in France, UK, Spain, Holland and N°3 in the “games” section of the Italian appstore. The game had been downloaded 2 million times in one week.

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To “feed” its games, WG has called a consultant, a former RAF member, Richard Cutland. A multilanguage library is also available/open. Tanks have no more secrets for its [WG] employees.

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All the desks are equipped with custom gamers seats. Employees may work till late at night. The “house” (means WG) has invested staggering work-hours a management tools in order to make each and other feel better in the firm.

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There is also a break/de-stressing area for frendliness … with videogame consoles of course

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The Cafeteria is open to every employee, who can also go for a meal at the common Sodexo Restaurant inside the Tour Horizons.

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The tabletop football* is a compulsory attribute needed for a good mood inside the group.

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The break room

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An “arcade” terminal is also present with hundreds of titles. The must haves [games] of these old days machines.

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A gym is also open to all the employees working in the Tour Horizons.

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A view from WG eu office…

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The big boss’ Office in France, Frederic Menoux, a former cheif executive/general manager of Blizzard Europe. Its door is closed only when he have a meeting, they tell us.

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At wargaming, we don’t forget where we come from. If the Europe General Manager did his training [as in "went to drilling"] inside Vivendi, others come from Ubisoft.

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Part of the WG office decoration

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It’s hard not to see tanks at Wargaming. They are everywhere and of every size.

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Wargaming recieves everyday fan drawings.

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While visiting the office, the game opposing France and Germany was still to be played, but the bets were already done. And some did not hesitate to show their preference.