Light and Lavender

The context

Old cities were dense, loud, intense and personal in a unique way. Some of this has been preserved in today’s city centres, but most of it has been changed and renewed over time. Exciting impulses can be utilised in places where it is still possible to draw on existing buildings that have their own history and typological identity, such as this “print shop” in Munich from the 1970s. When INpuls revitalised the now fifty-year-old industrial architecture, which was designed as a functional hall space, this led to the creation of an inspired, 1,191 square metre office landscape on two levels, the upper floor of which not only receives light through large side windows, but also through an atrium. It has also become a Tatami-covered relaxation centre, where the cleverly distributed leading tones of the colour concept are already evident: light-reflecting white for the walls, a light natural tone for furniture and cushions and green plants. The green also appears selectively in the furniture and in the skilfully used lights.

Coloured zones

However, purple is particularly prominent in the lavender-coloured project rooms and on the columns and beams. It refers to the façade of the building and the purple-coloured window frames. The 120 employees work in a well thought-out room programme, divided into three areas: The communication zone consists of meeting rooms with creative greenery and calming lavender-coloured project rooms. The open-plan focus zones, which are distributed over six positions in the floor plan, consist of classic workstations, sensibly separated from the open-plan space by steel partition elements. The social area on the ground floor is designed to be invigorating with food and drink on the one hand and relaxing thanks to comfortable and flexible furniture, but also actively vibrant on the other. It can also be used for internal and external events or as a stage. Transparent walls allow a localised view of the workshops.

What do you think are the key qualities of a good workplace?
Réka Visnyei: In the design process, the space is individually rethought together with the company. The workplace as a social system must fulfil the requirements of everyday life, the needs of the users and the conditions of the environment. They should be seen as new urban interaction spaces that offer space for focussed work processes as well as for creative thinking, co-operative exchange and knowledge-expanding methodologies. In order to give employees a sense of belonging and home, the space should be characterised by a strong identity-creating design.
Do you see any similarities in interior design for living and working?
Our approach is always a holistic one, so that the user is always the focus of planning in both the living and working context. As the two worlds have continued to merge since the pandemic, it is very important to always consider both fields in the context of each other. Many workplaces are becoming third places – this is paradoxical, as the third place in sociology describes a place of community that is intended to serve as a balance between everyday life and work. It is therefore important for us to differentiate what people’s needs are in these three places and how we can create a symbiosis that strengthens their unique qualities.
Which material-related aspects do you consider to be the most important for the future development of the workspaces?
In the context of sustainability, material-related aspects are of great importance. The involvement of a sustainability officer on the part of the company emphasises the relevance of this topic. Our personal responsibility is reflected in the consideration of material purity, freedom from harmful substances, short production routes and recycling options. We also rely on high-quality materials to ensure longevity.