One of Hungary’s most important technology companies has found a home in Nagymező Street, a bustling street filled with restaurants, ruin pubs and tourists in the heart of Budapest’s theatre district. Serving the needs of those who want to present their ideas in an attractive way, Prezi has set up its headquarters in the Merkúr Palace, built between 1900 and 1903 for the country’s first telephone exchange. The company’s flagship product, the presentation software developed by architect and media artist Ádám Somlai-Fischer, has become a popular tool for those looking for an alternative to the linearity of PowerPoint worldwide. The software, built on the principle of a “zoomable interface”, allows users to organize their thoughts into a spatial narrative – similar to how offices provide a spatial framework for a given company’s tasks.

As Prezi gradually expanded, the goal was not to create a fully finished office in the 4,000 square meter building. We created semi-finished spaces with movable objects and writable walls, encouraging employees to shape their environment themselves.
In the spirit of spatial flexibility, Prezi sought to use simple and inexpensive materials. To avoid the coldness of high-tech interiors, they used wood and untreated materials to create spaces of immediacy, intimacy, and community.