Images of future workplaces 2035

The pandemic accelerated digitalization sprint has led to a major workplace transformation, affecting knowledge work globally. The traditional office is dead, but there is little consensus about what will replace it. This paper aims to create alternative future images of workplaces in the medium-term, until 2035. The research design is explorative and qualitative, and grounded in futures studies. We utilize data from 19 interviews with organizations’ workplace responsibles, and 17stories collected from workplace academics. By thematically analyzing these 36 views of preferable future workplaces, we create four alternative future images. We present four future images for workplaces 2035. The developed future images are“Green and Well”, “Cyber Productivity”, “Prosocial and Experiental”, and “Work withoutBorders”. The future images have different emphasis and starting points, and are intended to be mutually exclusive. The findings show that the future workplaces may take many forms. Whether the future workplaces will be characterized by closeness to home and nature, offering an experiential community meeting place, making most of advanced technologies, or built on the freedom and autonomy of employees, organizations must find ways to adapt to and embrace these futures. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on corporate real estate and workplace management. In practice, the alternative futures and their development process may inspire organizations in their foresight work.