In a cooperative residential building in the urban and mixed-use Am Lohsepark district in HafenCity, an IT service provider was able to take over a small commercial space measuring 75 m² in its shell condition. These commercially used units along the streets are typical of HafenCity, which mandates that the ground floor of every building be accessible to the public. These can be retail shops, restaurants or bars, various service providers or galleries, for example. These ground floor spaces are 5 m high throughout, allowing for individual design options with up to two storeys.

Schoener und Panzer Architects from Leipzig were commissioned to create a representative and multifunctional meeting, sales and office space for the employees and customers of the IT company – despite significant economic constraints. The unstructured floor plan geometry of the space was organised by installing precisely designed carpentry furniture. It integrates all the functions essential for the operation of the office. The framed, light and dark glazed spruce plywood panels accommodate cupboards, form open shelves or conceal predetermined fixed points for building services installations. While an open, communicative meeting area was created on the ground floor, which is glazed towards the public street space, the gallery level is reserved for flexible office workstations and a kitchenette. Necessary ancillary rooms were also arranged under the gallery in the joinery furniture. The office is illuminated by light bulbs switched in groups. The textile cables were laid in analogy to computer circuit boards as a visible surface-mounted installation on the ceiling. In addition to the component-like formulation of the joinery furniture, this also created a clear reference to the client's field of business.

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Photography Credits:

Henning Rogge
www.henningrogge.de

(Published in CUBE Hamburg 02|21)