LIGHT BLUE WALL

Hotel to Office

The former hotel in Munich’s city centre had a typical layout: a rectangular main building on the street, with a long, narrow courtyard wing behind it. The entrance is in the middle of the façade and provides access to the five upper floors via a lift and a staircase running around it. The “Innovation Hub” of an international company now resides here, customised by the local interior design firm iam interior.architects. With a wink, the designers point out the subtle symbolism of the lighting in the new reception area, with a flower of light consisting of six pure light bulbs shining on the blue wall. These could symbolise the successful connection between the design inspiration and the new office world of the Innovation Hub, which is very specifically geared towards creative and collaborative work. An open bistro area, an information room and an event space have been placed on the ground floor – with enough space for 70 employees and visitors.

multifunctional

A multifunctional furnishing concept offers individual utilisation options and can be converted to suit the occasion: The bench becomes a counter and a pin board becomes a table. The areas on the three upper floors are divided into zones with multiple tables for collaborative work, while individual areas allow for quiet concentration. Additional meeting and retreat rooms were created thanks to separating fixtures in beech wood. A light blue wall element docks onto the stairwell on all floors, serving as an infrastructural centrepiece with a cloakroom and lockers. It is the colour counterpart to the staff kitchens located opposite. These are complemented on the 5th floor, which can be used as a place of retreat with its sloping ceilings and view over Munich, by a “Stubn”, alluding to a Bavarian pub. There is also a dark blue library and another meeting room. Throughout the building, the new interior features strong colour fields that not only loosen up and localise, but also reflect the company’s corporate colours.

What do you think are the key qualities of a good workplace?
Julia Schneider: Positive charisma and a good atmosphere with light, colour and material design. The targeted use of plants also contributes significantly to the good quality of a modern workplace.
Do you see any similarities in interior design for living and working?
Of course there are. We spend a lot of time at our workplace, so this place becomes a home, so to speak. It can be designed and should also be allowed to radiate individual character. Different characters in a workplace enliven the atmosphere and require special means of expression. We interior designers can cater for this.
Which material-related aspects do you consider to be the most important for the future development of workspaces?
We at iam have been experimenting with mycelia for some time. We believe that sustainability and the use of environmentally friendly materials contribute significantly to a positive working atmosphere.