It is clear from the moment visitors step into the lobby of AOL's New York headquarters that this soon-to-be-spun-off internet division of Time Warner remains a work in progress.
The lime green and baby blue hues of the reception area seem misplaced – more Miami chic than New York cool. An aluminium iMac has been ripped out of the wall, exposing wires that jut over a keyboard and mouse. An unplugged phone sits next to a copy of AOL's “Standards of Business Conduct” sitting haphazardly on a modern coffee table.
Tim Armstrong, AOL's chief executive since March, would prefer that visitors based their initial impressions by starting with his office. A giant black-and-white poster of CNN founder Ted Turner in Apple's “Think Different” advertising campaign hangs on a wall in a room surrounded by pictures of his three children.