Plenty of office buildings are boxy and uninspiring, but every now and then they border on being works of art.
Ahead of the World Architecture Festival this November, the WAF has released its shortlist for the most beautiful office buildings in the world.
They hail from all over the world — from India to Sweden to Australia — and they encompass a range of styles.
These are the buildings that might make long commutes just a little bit more gratifying.
In São Paulo, Brazil, architecture firm Guilherme Torres Studio followed the designs of its other international offices by creating a brutalist-style building with a touch of modernity.

Architect: Studio Guilherme Torres
The interior features 'floating' black panels that can swing open or closed to transform conference room spaces into open-office layouts.

Architect: Studio Guilherme Torres
In Nanjing, China, just south of Beijing, the restored Lai Yard features a mixture of stone and glass exteriors.

Architect: Minggu Design

Architect: Minggu Design
The licensing and technology nonprofit GS1 Portugal, located in Lisbon, includes a slatted, textured mural on its facade.

Architect: Promontorio
Its interior features swooping curved lines toward the ceiling and harder edges moving down the walls to the floor.

Architect: Promontorio
The central headquarters of apparel company Pull & Bear, in Narón, Spain, is a long, low-slung building set beside a well-manicured lawn.

Architect: Batlle i Roig Arquitectura

Architect: Batlle i Roig Arquitectura
A similar design is at play at the S.Y. Construction Headquarters, in Taichung, Taiwan. Nestled among the trees, the concrete building is juxtaposed with bright green and earthy brown.

Architect: H.K.W Architects Associate

Architect: H.K.W Architects Associate
In Września, Poland, the headquarters of Wrzesińskie of News features a perforated style on its facade to recall newspaper columns.

Architect: Ultra Architects

Architect: Ultra Architects
490 Consulting Suites, in Spring Hill, Australia, uses a combination of horizontal and vertical lines to create a mesmerising exterior.

Architect: Shane Thompson Architects

Architect: Shane Thompson Architects
The offices of the architecture firm Sanctuary, located in Bangalore, India, blend the outdoors and indoors with movable walls that facilitate air flow.

Architect: Sanctuary Architects and Designers
The bungalow-like feel allows workers to escape in a canopied-style patio, shaded from the harsh sun by surrounding trees.

Architect: Sanctuary Architects and Designers

Architect: KSM Architecture
Inside, the space has more modern conceits. Hard edges of metal and glass define the multi-level building.

Architect: KSM Architecture
Västgötagatan 5, a commercial work space in Stockholm, Sweden, was recently refurbished to update the staircases and general floor plan.

Architect: Equator Stockholm

Architect: Equator Stockholm

Architect: Zaha Hadid
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