Office
Axel Springer
The interior of the new building of German media company Axel Springer in Berlin
The futuristic building was designed by Rem Koolhaas
project HQ Media concern Axel Springer
architect Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)
furniture Lensvelt Contract Furniture
photography Laurian Ghinitoiu, Gwenda Gieseler, Mick van der Kolff
Lensvelt collaborated with OMA on the interior of the new building of German media company Axel Springer in Berlin. The futuristic building, not far from Checkpoint Charlie, was designed by Rem Koolhaas, architect and founder of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). The design of the building with an open floorplan and private quite spaces, serves as a symbol and tool for the future of this leading digital media company.
tekst 1
A meeting place on the ground floor in the main hall with soft islands with colorfull backrests
Foam blocks at the Coworking area, a round sofa and the AVL Visitor Chair (right).
The sofas are highly durable if necessary, only a new covering needs to be purchased.
The building is characterized by its open, transparent architecture
OMA architect in charge Katrin Betschinger and Philippe Braun (left) with Lensvelt COO Rob Brugge (right) and senior sales associate Mick van der Kolff
The objective for the modern workingspaces
The building expands the traditional concept of working spaces by bringing "people and their interaction" to the core of the building with a giant diagonal atrium. The design of the new offices is based on 75% formal workspaces against 25% informal spaces. The building offers 52,000 square meters of work space and is characterized by its open, transparent architecture.
Lensvelt senior sales associate Mick van der Kolff initially encountered the architects of OMA two years ago and discussed possibilities in an early stage of the development
Katrin Betschinger, architect in charge focused on customized furniture as well as on the acoustic conditions in an open workplace for more than 3000 employees.
Lensvelt developed a range of products for this specific project: easy to assemble and disassemble sofas in 12 different shapes for long term use and 8 different island seats designed by OMA. Printer pods, safety benches, base units with screens for office supplies and power units, acoustic lockers and Lensvelt’s own iconic Stealth cabinet, the best and original acoustic cabinet designed by Wiel Arets.
tekst 2
The view from one of the 13 indoor bridges
The design by OMA features an atrium, which runs diagonally through the center of the building.
At the hospitality venues, Lensvelt has developed modular lounge cushions in various pastel colors with accent colors.
Lensvelt has developed soft island seats in various shapes and 10 colors, with the different seat and back parts able to be connected individually.
Gwenda Gieseler, Lensvelt's project manager, relocated to Berlin for seven months to coordinate the delivery of 72 truckloads of furniture, an extraordinary experience during Covid-19. She organized the shipments in close collaboration with producers and carriers. Preparations included informing the security service and training local technicians for installation. Gwenda maintained constant communication with clients to ensure the quality of Lensvelt products.
tekst 3
AVL Visitor Chairs with height and tilt mechanism are upholstered in 400,000 Martindale durable artificial leather.
In the informal spaces with the Mies van der Rohe armchairs, there are long light blue benches with power outlets under the seats.
As project furnisher, we have closely collaborated with Vitra. The chairs, designed by Maarten van Severen, with plastic seats are practical, comfortable, and durable.
Special desk lamps and large, satellite-like sunshades with dimmable LED lighting have been developed to temper incoming sunlight. These are mounted on a movable base.
12 benches have been developed in various shapes, with stain-resistant stretch upholstery, making them durable; only new upholstery needs to be purchased.
Lensvelt has developed acoustic products around the Stealth cabinets, including printer pods.
Foam-covered seats and a spacious semi-circular two-tone bench along with a mobile whiteboard for effective group discussions.
Various accessories, can be used with multifunctional mobile base units.
Digital acoustic lockers can be operated with an iPhone.
Wardrobe cabinets are integrated with the Stealth cabinets.
The Stealth cabinets are known for their high acoustic value, with fine perforations on the doors and back panels according to OMA's design.
The Stealth cabinet by Lensvelt is the finest and original acoustic cabinet designed by Wiel Arets.
The acoustic value of the Stealth cabinets is highly appreciated, thanks to the careful application of fine perforations on the doors and back panels.
