New Airbnb Dublin office gets grand unveiling (photos)

11 May 2016

This morning’s opening of Airbnb’s new international hub on Hanover Quay, Dublin 2. Image via Maxwell’s

Airbnb has now officially opened its new Dublin international headquarters at Hanover Quay in the heart of Silicon Docks, with an office space of nearly 40,000 sq ft.

The new Airbnb office will continue serving as the short-term renting company’s international headquarters with an official floor space of 36,500 sq ft, with it having decided to expand out from its previous base at The Watermarque Building in Dublin 4.

When the new office was announced in February of 2015, along with the creation of 200 new jobs, the building known simply as ‘The Warehouse’ underwent a massive restoration project to allow it to house one of the largest tech MNCs based in Dublin.

Speaking last year, Shane Scully, director of Reveal Developments, which orchestrated the refurbishment of the building, said: “The Warehouse will see an old building with a rich heritage become a bright contemporary space, while retaining its character.

Now has two offices in Dublin

“We are very excited to redevelop this space in the heart of the Silicon Docks area and make it home for Airbnb.”

Among those present at the launch this morning was the newly-appointed Minister of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’ Connor, as well as senior Airbnb management, including its global general council, Rob Chesnut; its Irish head and global head of customer support, Aisling Hassell, and its CFO, Laurence Tosi.

While The Warehouse will serve as its new international hub and second-largest office worldwide, the previous office in The Watermarque Building will continue to operate.

Group shot

From l-r: Rob Chesnut, Global General Council, Airbnb; Martin Shanahan CEO IDA Ireland; Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’ Connor; Aisling Hassell, Global Head of Customer Support and head of Airbnb in Ireland; and Laurence Tosi, Airbnb CFO. Image via Maxwell’s

Mary Mitchell O Connor

Recently-appointed Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’ Connor, as she addresses the staff at the official opening. Image via Maxwell’s 

Updated 16 May 2016: An earlier version of this article contained a typo saying Airbnb’s new offices were nearly 400,000sqm, this has now been amended.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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