By John Arenas | October 24, 2013

The World’s Most Powerful Rooms

Picturing the Boardroom: The Engine Block of the Company

Board rooms are where all the high-power, wheel-turning happens; they must be the most empowering spaces in the building. Yet there are a surprising number of companies whose main meeting spaces are neglected. In a boardroom that isn’t empowering, employees may feel trapped, or their thoughts will wander away from where their ideas need to be most.

Photographer Jacqueline Hassink sought out 40 of the most powerful companies around the world and photographed their boardrooms. Her photo book series provides a dramatic view into the world’s most effectively-run meeting spaces.

One of the things that is most apparent about the spaces is—despite their wide variations in style—they all exude power. None seem stark or unsettled in, and even the most basic rooms imbue some personality of the company itself. Lighting is also prominent. There aren’t any ceilings cut out with monochromatic fluorescents that make you feel like a dental exam. Whether there are big windows to let in natural sunlight or dramatic fixtures, the light source sets the atmosphere.

Lastly, space is important. Even the smallest of the boardrooms in the series do not make its occupants feel cramped. There is no better way to inhibit a person’s creativity than stifling them—it works the same spatially. From skytop views of the city to ornate architectural ceilings, each of these spaces communicates power.