APRIL FOOLS!
At this office, when the work day is done employees slide their way to freedom.
That's the plan for Flight Centre Travel Group's new global headquarters that today submitted revised plans to Brisbane City Council to append a 15-storey slide around the exterior of the building.
The slide is one of several proposed additions to the building, which already boasts meeting rooms in the shell of planes, trains and cruise ships.
Flight Centre's Tom Walley said the new building in Brisbane's South Bank is due for completion in September and is a physical representation of the company's ethos.
"We work for an amazing company selling the best product in the world, so why not have a head office to reflect that," Mr Walley said.
A rendering of Flight Centre's new headquarters in South Bank
Efficiency of movement into, out of and within Flight Centre's new HQ is a key design element with innovative solutions integrated into the existing and amended building plans.
"Our people have been telling us for a while that stairs and lifts are too conventional for their tastes, so we have decided to install large-scale trampolines on each level for people to propel themselves up, floor by floor.
"It will take a bit of re-jigging of the floor plan to make it work, but we see it as a necessary addition for workplace happiness, although health and safety regulations state we can't allow people to use the trampolines when descending between floors," Mr Walley said.
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Similar solutions for efficient movement include personal hoverboards for each employee and a new, fast-tracked means of entering the building via a high-velocity, all-glass, outward-facing lift directly from the train platform beneath the ground floor.
"The building straddles South Bank train station and as we have a lot of employees who commute each day, we wanted a way to ease their transition into work. The revised plan means they can step off the train and into the lift to be at their desk in record time."
Mr Walley confirmed Brisbane City Council has indicated early approval of the new design, which will cast a unique shadow on the city skyline.
"The new building is set to be an icon and the added features only enhance the statement it makes, so we are happy the powers that be are on board with the new design concepts," Mr Walley said.
Other additions include airport check-in facilities for first-class customers and a helipad on the roof with a Flight Centre helicopter to ferry those customers to the airport. Level 15 is also set to become Brisbane's hottest rooftop bar.
"We'll definitely have the cream of the crop of Brisbane's after-work watering holes with our Level 15 club zone complete with dance floor, booth seating and huge balcony sunlounge with sweeping city views.
"Our people are really into BMX at the moment, so we're going to reserve the back half of Level 15 for a BMX ramp to host an annual Flight Centre freestyle competition, as well as regular team brainstorm sessions atop our brand new fleet of wheels from 99 Bikes."
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