Information and discourse

Important communication location

The Düsseldorf headquarters of the Handelsblatt Media Group is one of Germany’s most important communication locations when it comes to media. It is typical for this economic sector that the usual structural boundaries towards people, contents and processes of information and exchange are reduced as much as possible.

Consequently, the project presented here focuses less on the office situation of the 1,000 employees of the Media Group on the other floors of the excitingly designed seven-storey building. Instead, it is explicitly about the prominent contact and communication area on the entrance level, which plays a decisive role in the employees’ working environment.

Live journalism

While the office floors for the editorial offices and for administrative functions appear rather matter-of-factly discreet in light white or silver tones and striking effects following the colour wheel are limited to glass walls and furniture, the vocabulary of the interior design used on the ground floor expands noticeably – corresponding to the variety of tasks and the high frequency and number of users.

This is where customers and guests arrive and use the publications on display, this is where one-on-one meetings and a wide variety of event formats as well as events take place, this is where spatial qualities must both represent the media house and meet the special requirements of live journalism.

Town Hall and restaurant

From the reception, one enters the so-called “Town Hall” designed for this purpose, which on the one hand can host large events or discussion rounds in the centrally placed, space-creating arena, the “Forum” – for which there is a colour-changing lighting atmosphere. On the other hand, it offers staff suitable communication locations for specific customer and journalist contacts. Various seating scenarios are grouped around and next to the café bar with its long table.

A remarkable constellation of functions is offered by the adjoining restaurant, which is much more than just a gastronomic place for employees and guests. In addition to providing food and drink, it expands the event possibilities of the “Town Hall”. On the one hand, large sliding elements made of copper expanded metal on the sides allow the menu service to be hidden if necessary; on the other hand, they provide access to the four subtly designed meeting booths, the “focus rooms”.