St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M held its official grand opening last week for the new state-of-the-art 3M Design Center.

The new facility, four times the size of the previous one, is designed to foster creativity and collaboration among 3M employees and business partners, according to the company.

“Design inspires design,”the company says, adding that was the underlying philosophy behind the building's hybrid layout. It features private, independent meeting areas but also incorporates a good deal of communal space. The“design hive,”for example, allows 3M employees to connect and engage with others, whether they be coworkers or outside partners. This environment, the company believes, will encourage cross-disciplinary projects to be developed through design, whether they be home or office products, automotive materials or even digital health care solutions.

“3M Design is at the forefront of creating customer-driven experiences,”says Eric Quint, vice president and chief design officer at 3M.“The new studio reflects our culture of spontaneous collaboration, creativity and translation of insightful solutions that positively impact the world. We will continue to inspire and grow our design talent across all 3M businesses, further elevating 3M as a recognized leader in design.”