The new gallery as shop window to the street
The identity of our design studio, its openness, its collaged and variegated character, its high density and boldness for finding unusual detail solutions – all of this is conveyed by the lowest floor that once housed a gallery, and which looks directly out onto the street. The large expanse of window frontage provides a view of an exceptionally dynamic, green planted landscape. The new studio in the gallery eschews the linear layout of the traditional office and exploits the five metre-high ceilings to full advantage: Trailing textile filters made from large-mesh, black oilcloth zone the barrier-free work world in an organic way. Moreover, the filters provide visual screening for all the work stations that are grouped around multiple desk islands. One of our own designs, the ParaVert – a modular spatial filter for vertical planting – adds a further layer and condenses the open atelier atmosphere into a creative jungle. The lush vegetation not only provides a green atmosphere; it is proven to boost creativity and work motivation, and to reduce the incidence of sore eyes, headaches and respiratory problems in the workplace.
The Material Lab for material experiences
Adjoining the gallery is our Material Lab – an unusual mélange of a comprehensive materials collection and a research laboratory. Here we find the one perfect piece of material amongst thousands of fabric, stone and wood samples. And it is here we create lavish material worlds on large pattern tables, which we then present to our clients as sensory material experiences. In the Material Lab and connecting workshop, you can experiment to your heart’s content: This is the place for sample matching, new material developments, prototypes and design highlights for a huge diversity of international projects.
The Salon, the heart of IF Group
If you wish to find out what makes our studio so special and who are the creative minds driving it, you just have to step into our new Salon. Sooner or later you’ll encounter everyone – employees and visitors alike – in the centrally located Salon with its unique mixture of kitchen, living room and library. This is where we eat, drink, celebrate and talk to each other. The Salon is a true communication hub: perfect for project meetings and training courses, for presentations and our weekly Jour Fixe, for informal discussions around the coffee machine, shared cookery sessions and our monthly film night. A stimulating place for exchange and relaxation, the heart of Ippolito Fleitz Group.
The Studio, a creative space with history
The Salon merges seamlessly into our Studio: a large room, characterised by cast-iron pillars still in their original condition. Two long work benches and a central standing conference table foster the creative and communicative atmosphere in this four metre-high room. All the shelving and furniture in the Studio are executed in a simple white or dark wood. Contrasting colour accents are provided by the vibrant textile strips that serve as light pulls hanging above the work stations as well as by the islands of green plants. A large painting of a moonscape by Anja Ganster is a source of additional inspiration for expanding your own horizons.
An entrance area that surprises visitors
If you come to visit Ippolito Fleitz Group, you pass through a sober grey hallway, a typical industrial stairwell from days gone by. When you step into our entrance area, the contrast of its crisp white appears even more brilliant and allows the tartan carpet, one of our own designs, and our awards wall to stand out. The most important thing for us, however, is that guests in the entrée area, which is also decorated with selected art objects, feel immediately welcome.
No offices, but different communication zones
The creative work of our international, multi-disciplinary team lives and thrives on an exchange of ideas. And communication is the core element of our work process. This is why you will not find any small, closed-off offices anywhere in the whole studio – but instead diverse communication zones for different requirements. They range from video conference rooms and large and small meeting rooms to alcoves, seating niches and standing conference tables. All these places exude their own atmosphere and are a perfect justification for very different communication constellations – from an intimate tête-à-tête to large team meetings.
Identification and inspiration for all employees
The diverse communication zones and all other parts of the studio all have their own stories to tell. They complete the image of an international, interdisciplinary design studio to make a dynamic, vibrant and collaged whole. With the latest expansion and refurbishment, Ippolito Fleitz Group, which in recent years has distinguished itself with numerous award-winning projects in the field of work worlds, amongst other things, displays more than ever how a modern work world can become an identity-shaping, inspiring and healthy environment for all its employees.