{"id":250204,"date":"2025-03-12T10:10:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=canvasflow&p=250204"},"modified":"2025-03-12T10:10:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:10:47","slug":"brainhouse247-coworking-space-ippolito-fleitz-group","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/brainhouse247-coworking-space-ippolito-fleitz-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside A Playful Coworking Space In Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In the \u201curban square\u201d zone, Thomas Bernstrand and Stefan Borselius\u2019s Bob ottomans joins Fatboy\u2019s Bonbaron Sherpa lounge chairs under a forest of vertical pendant fixtures and fabric strips.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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March 12, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Dan Howarth<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Philip Kottlorz<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Inside A Playful Coworking Space In Germany<\/h1>\n\n\n

We all know by now that the world of work has undergone a seismic shift. However, there is still much debate about how future workplaces will look and how they\u2019ll accommodate the evolving habits and needs of new generations of users. Architects and designers are currently in a significant phase of experimentation, striving to determine the next iteration of the \u201coffice\u201d\u2014if it can even still be called that\u2014and how these spaces might entice workers away from their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Laatzen, an industrial area on the outskirts of Hanover, Germany, Ippolito Fleitz Group<\/a> has taken the experimental approach to an extreme in an effort to redefine this spatial category. The firm\u2019s interiors for Brainhouse247, a coworking brand, have transformed a five-level 1970\u2019s building\u2014formerly a nondescript administrative center for Siemens\u2014into 215,000 square feet of lively, playful environments that provide facilities, flexibility, and fun as compelling incentives for members to show up. \u201cWhy are people coming back to the office?\u201d asks Peter Ippolito, an Interior Design<\/em> Hall of Fame member<\/a> along with comanaging partner, Gunther Fleitz. \u201cThe simple answer is because they want to, not because they have to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ippolito Fleitz Group Builds A Creative Coworking Wonderland<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In Hanover, Germany, custom monkey bars and gymnastic rings outfit a tran\u00adsition space at Brainhouse247, a five-level former administrative center transformed into a co\u00adworking facility by Ippolito Fleitz Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Available to both individuals and corporate employees, Brainhouse247 membership offers round-the-clock access to a diverse range of meeting rooms, lounge and relaxation zones, communal breakout spaces, and food and beverage areas\u2014all designed with an unconventional approach. The concept goes well beyond the beer taps and phone booths of 2010\u2019s coworking startups, one that\u2019s much more refined than the foosball tables and slides of the same decade\u2019s tech-campus wonderland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with more traditional open desk setups, there are specialized facilities for podcasting, photography, 3-D printing, and more, plus a mix of unorthodox places for quiet contemplation or letting off steam, depending on one\u2019s mood.  \u201cWe have a room where you don\u2019t see anything because it\u2019s all foggy, offering a moment of quiet,\u201d Ippolito reports. \u201cWe even have a room where you can go in and just scream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How This Coworking Space Invites Play<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Busetti Garuti Redaelli\u2019s Buddyhub sofa surveys a private desk area on the third floor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In essence, Brainhouse247 is conceived as a landscape of discovery. Each level (four aboveground and one below) features a distinct visual identity but is intentionally left unnamed to encourage users to assign their own monikers, aiding memory and orientation\u2014or so the hope goes. While the top three floors all include a central \u201cmarketplace\u201d as a nexus where members can grab coffee, socialize, and relax, each floor has a unique layout and scenario created for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On level two, for instance, the \u201cplayground\u201d is where collaborative work can take place around circular picnic tables or in pink-upholstered diner-style booths, while on the floor above, presentations can be viewed from brightly hued, stadium-style bleachers mounted on wheels for flexibility. \u201cEverything is agile and mobile,\u201d Fleitz explains. For focused tasks, there are custom cylindrical oak pods, which he refers to as \u201cbird\u2019s nests,\u201d raised a couple of feet off the ground and accessed via short orange ladders. Another option for private calls or concentrated work is a series of color-saturated nooks, created by opening up former exhaust shafts and outfitting them with comfortable sofas and intimate pendant lighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bold Colors + Comfortable Seating Enhance Productivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The picnic table and \u201cbird\u2019s nest\u201d bookend a row of custom diner-style booths for collab\u00adorative work.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Members wishing to stay active while they work can utilize dedicated \u201cwalk \u2019n\u2019 talk\u201d areas or organize powwows with colleagues that incorporate sessions on monkey bars, gymnastic rings, and other exercise equipment. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve learned from completing a lot of projects in the corporate world is that you can\u2019t ever be innovative enough,\u201d Ippolito observes. \u201cLet\u2019s put it this way, the most unconventional formats we offer are typically used the most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The raw bones of the original concrete structure and service ductwork, along with existing features like drywall and tiling, have been left exposed in many instances, creating an intentionally unfinished appearance that alludes to the constant flux of work habits. Colorful heating\/cooling ceiling panels were installed in several work areas to improve the building\u2019s energy efficiency, while also helping with acoustics. Bold color is applied fervently throughout, imbuing joy and lightheartedness. From forests of vertical textile ribbons suspended above pillowy lounge chairs and soft ottomans to an area dedicated to playing board games in niches between arched spruce partitions, there\u2019s a palpable emphasis on buoyancy and pleasure around every corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the \u201curban square\u201d zone, Thomas Bernstrand and Stefan Borselius\u2019s Bob ottomans joins Fatboy\u2019s Bonbaron Sherpa lounge chairs under a forest of vertical pendant fixtures and fabric strips.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To further enliven the interiors, street art\u2013style graphics featuring a cast of deftly sketched characters festoon many walls, enhancing the patchwork effect created by the many layered elements. \u201cWe love collage because it allows the user to develop their own story,\u201d Ippolito notes. \u201cThey see what they want to see, and they connect it with their own memories.\u201d The facility will eventually include restaurants, a fitness center, and maker workshops, among other ame\u00adnities on the ground floor, offering members everything they might need under one roof, if they choose. Choice is a fundamental principle of the project, emphasizing IFG\u2019s contention that the future of work ultimately revolves around freedom\u2014however that may manifest aesthetically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swing Through Brainhouse247’s Transformation By Ippolito Fleitz Group<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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On the third floor, Jazz arm\u00adchairs by Pedrali and a custom table sit on an Afghan rug.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Spruce arches frame niches for play\u00ading board games on the ground floor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Wheels on custom bleacher seating allow it to be moved as needed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The private desks come with Industrial Facility\u2019s Pastille task lamps and Paravan acoustic panels by Lievore + Altherr D\u00e9sile Park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A custom oak-veneered \u201cbird\u2019s nest\u201d provides single-person workspace in the second floor \u201cplayground.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Street art\u2013style graphics adorn an unfinished wall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In the \u201cplayground,\u201d Claesson Koivisto Rune\u2019s oversize pendant presides over a custom picnic table and benches.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Antonio Citterio\u2019s ID Mesh chairs sur\u00adround a conference room\u2019s Jehs + Laub A-Table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A neon-suited character enlivens an exposed-concrete wall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A former exhaust shaft has been turned into a privacy nook furnished with Anderssen & Voll\u2019s Connect sofa and Jaime Hayon\u2019s Formakami pendant.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Custom bench seating and another bold graphic enhance the ground-floor \u201ccampus\u201d waiting area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
PROJECT TEAM <\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

IPPOLITO FLEITZ GROUP:<\/strong> LENA GRZIB; NADINE BATZ; ERKIN SAGIR; MANU DANKHED; KERRY PLIENINGER; NEELE KELINGARN; KATJA HEINEMANN; ARSEN ALIVERDIIEV; JUAN MANUEL DE AYARRA DEL OLMO; TIM LESSMANN; TIMO FLOTT; ROGER GASPERLIN; CHRISTIAN KIRSCHENMANN; JOHANNES HANEBUTH. AG LICHT:<\/strong> LIGHTING CONSULTANT. SUPER 8 STUDIO:<\/strong> GRAPHICS CONSULTANT. LINDNER:<\/strong> CUSTOM FURNITURE, INSTALLATIONS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FROM FRONT PRODUCT SOURCES<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

OBJECT CARPET:<\/strong> CARPET (TRANSITION SPACE, PRIVATE DESKS). PEDRALI:<\/strong> SOFA, ARMCHAIRS (PRIVATE DESKS). K\u00d6NIG + NEURATH:<\/strong> DESKS. ARPER:<\/strong> ACOUSTIC DESK PANELS. NAIN TRADING:<\/strong> RUG. W\u00c4STBERG:<\/strong> DESK LAMPS (PRIVATE DESKS), LARGE PENDANT FIXTURE (PLAYGROUND). MARAZZI:<\/strong> PORCE\u00adLAIN FLOOR TILE (PRIVATE DESKS, URBAN SQUARE). VITRA:<\/strong> MESH TASK CHAIRS (PRIVATE DESKS, CONFERENCE ROOM). BL\u00c5 STATION:<\/strong> OTTOMANS (BLEACHERS, URBAN SQUARE). FATBOY:<\/strong> LOUNGE CHAIRS (URBAN SQUARE). NEMO LIGHTING:<\/strong> VERTICAL PENDANT FIXTURES. BRUNNER:<\/strong> STEEL CHAIRS (URBAN SQUARE), TABLE (CON\u00adFERENCE ROOM). FLURST\u00dcCK:<\/strong> CARPET (PLAYGROUND). EQUIPE CER\u00c1MICAS:<\/strong> WALL TILES. MUUTO:<\/strong> SOFA (NOOK). &TRADITION:<\/strong> PENDANT FIXTURE.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n