In Berlin's newspaper district, opposite the headquarters of Axel Springer SE, the media company has commissioned Rotterdam star architects OMA to plan and implement a new building that is not only spectacular on the outside. Rem Koolhaas' team has also redefined the concept of the office environment in its interior without compromise and with an impressive gesture.
Berlin, Germany
On the one hand, the building, whose orthogonal front is split deeply lengthwise by a folded, glass atrium, is a continuation of the vision of the company's founder. At the time, he had built his old, golden high-rise tower directly on the border to the GDR. Now the new building symbolises the constant, tectonic merging of two halves.
The interior, on the other hand, is more disruptive. Here, the eleven-storey new building is interpreted as nothing less than the "built Internet". A huge, open environment runs through it, 45 metres high, linked by platforms and bridges, forming slopes and valleys. More than 3,500 people are expected to work here, and Springer hopes to attract digital bohemians for collaborative work – with a building whose heart is an enormous communications environment. There are also conventional offices, television studios and a newsroom for the newspaper "Die Welt". The building is thus to become a media centre for the digital age.
Arup's engineers also made a significant contribution to the project. For example, they managed to halve the number of pillars required, allowing far more daylight to deeply penetrate the terraced landscape. However, the success of this thoroughly consistent working environment is also based on small things. The Gira E2 series silk matt, the pushbutton sensor 3 and the Facility Server from Gira also play their part when the media of tomorrow are made in this trend-setting building.