Razorfish
Inside a historic former storage building on the north bank of the River Spree, Berlin, Bruzkus Batek architects have undertaken the redesign and comprehensive material and spatial conception of Razorfish’s 1300 sq m office space. The office occupies two levels, linked by pre-existing staircases. The elements of the new design enclose the building’s structure without disturbing it, mainly using OSB.
In the reception area, the counter has been moved to a more central position, providing better visibility between staff and visitors. The meeting room is enhanced with a cladding of long vertical wooden slats in a natural finish, providing privacy but also connection with the rest of the space. The staircase in the centre of the area is painted bright yellow to give a colour accent. Underneath the staircase is extensive book shelving, giving a sense of homeliness to this space.
The upper floor houses the actual office space, with the renewed desks constructed from light metal framing, with OSB surfaces. These give a sense of airiness and space to the area. The previously rather cramped kitchen area has been replaced with a large, freestanding counter with seating around it, inviting communication between staff as they enjoy their food. Along from the kitchen area is the second, wider staircase, clad in OSB and transformed into a podium style seating area that forms the centrepiece of meetings with all of the company’s employees present. For a more informal setting, the tea house atmosphere of the White Room with its adaptable, varied soft furnishings provides a comfortable setting to work in.
The flexibility of OSB to facilitate varying accents with different finishes used and both bare and ABS lined edges makes each space different and provides dynamic contrast between them. Finally, brushed stainless steel and the Green Wall both provide unique accents.
