Inspiring Clouds

Change of perspective

Consultants for creativity strategies repeatedly point out the importance of a change of perspective. Perhaps this inspiring denktactic was one reason for the apparently emphatically diverse ceiling landscape of the Best Workspace “Upgrade Campus NBG 4.0” by Kühnlein Architekten.

The client was the Nürnberger Baugruppe GmbH + Co KG, which planned the redesign of several floors in the elongated building of its Nuremberg location for different user groups. The interior design upgrade that followed the gutting was designed not only to modernize the working environment physically, but also to individualize it for the employees according to current understanding, and not to lose sight of the old-new relationship that is crucial for identification with the location.

Accordingly, the expansion of the room height was combined with the visualization of the constructive ribbed ceiling of the existing building. The technical building equipment, which is now responsible for an improved room climate, was also given a visual presence and fits into the purist, timeless ambience.

Transparency and geometry

How did they approach the new workspaces? The 1st floor with the “Support Wage and Salary Processes” department required discreet and soundproofed individual offices that could be combined with a large kitchen area on the same level; the 4th and 5th floors, on the other hand, were to be designed to be much more communicative with “IT and Accounting”. The distributed meeting zones, which sit in corridors widened for this purpose, act synergistically.

The differentiated action islands are placed in the flow of space by means of movable vertical panels and give the open spaces new opportunities for collaboration. For this purpose, they have playable wall surfaces.

The transparent character of the floor as a shared office is deliberately supported overall by windowed partition walls or open functional zones such as a presentation area or the kitchenette. The white ceiling elements mentioned at the beginning of this article can be seen throughout, hovering over everything as acoustically effective sails. They accompany the work processes in the respective areas and play stimulatingly with their respective geometry.

What do you see as the supporting qualities of a good workplace?

Kühnlein Architekten: The main qualities of a good workplace are good room acoustics, a good room climate, ergonomic furniture, access to or a view of the countryside, digital equipment, a room for concentrated work, but also a place for meeting and creative exchange. The requirements for the workplaces are very different due to the type of activity.

Do you see any comparability in the design of living and working spaces?

Yes, because productive, focused and creative work should also be possible when working in a home office. Here, the issues of furnishings, cramped living conditions and the mixing of private and professional life must be taken into account and resolved. The workplace in the office should promote an atmosphere of motivation and satisfaction; the degree of openness, color, acoustics and the staging of encounters, communication and exchange are important here.

Which functional aspects do you consider to be the most important for the future development of workspaces?

Areas for analog and digital work, diversity of meeting rooms, but also retreats for concentrated work. Group rooms are replacing the former open-plan offices. Hybrid meeting and project rooms support creative collaboration. Creating areas for working outdoors, while retaining the same qualities of an indoor workplace. The office is increasingly becoming a place for creative teamwork, brainstorming and intensive exchange.