The SmartDigital Office, designed by IONDESIGN GmbH Berlin, stands out with its unique approach to office space interior design. The design partitions the long and narrow room into clearly defined zones while keeping an open space concept in mind. The use of yellow road markings provides an ideal test track for close and long-distance perception of the content on the Digital City Light Poster. The staircase shines in bright neon red and clearly marks the entrance into the new Office of the Department of SmartDigital. With its industrial character, the open ceiling contrasts the precisely fitted wardrobes.
The silver fabric of the acoustically effective ceiling panels corresponds to the floor covering made of silver plastic braid and silver partition elements. In order to preserve the privacy of the employees, the desks are moved away from the windows. The space measures 240 square meters and is situated on the ground floor in Berlin's Friedrichstrasse.
Here, the company's digital future is created - the big oak veneer desks are reminiscent of workbenches and facilitate an intensive exchange among the employees. Flexible seating can be distributed arbitrarily around the large tables to hold short meetings and promote collaborative work - the interior design by IONDESIGN Berlin responds to the demands of a networked working environment.
The SmartDigital Office project was realized in 2015 between April and November in Berlin's famous Friedrichstrasse. The design team, consisting of Anja Götz, Christoph Fleckenstein, Tom Ruthenberg, Martin Binder, Christina Schäfer, Dario Zadra, Ralph Barnick, and Clementine Kuckei, overcame the challenge of working in a shop window. An office space on street level is both the external representation of a company and a workplace. The busy road junction in front of the building, telephone calls, and conversations among employees make perfect acoustics indispensable. Therefore, sound-insulating windows, micro-perforated transparent walls, and the use of textiles reduce the noise to a minimum.
This project shows numerous similarities between a public and an office project since the space is situated on street level. A public project aims at a strong visual effect, while an office needs to provide functioning work places for the employees. At the same time, this open plan office represents the company. The lounge, the bar area, and the desks are placed in the more open part of the office, increasing wellbeing and encouraging exchange among the employees.
The SmartDigital Office design by IONDESIGN GmbH Berlin has been awarded Bronze in the A' Interior Space, Retail, and Exhibition Design Award in 2016. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that authenticate experience and resourcefulness. Esteemed for incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology, this design exhibits strong technical and creative skills and contributes to quality of life improvements, making the world a better place.
Project Designers: IONDESIGN GmbH
Image Credits: Asaf Oren
Project Team Members: Anja Götz
Christoph Fleckenstein
Tom Ruthenberg
Martin Binder
Christina Schäfer
Dario Zadra
Ralph Barnick
Clementine Kuckei
Project Name: SmartDigital
Project Client: IONDESIGN GmbH