In the city centre of Hamburg, Germany, a subsidiary company of the iconic Volkswagen brand recently commissioned architects at Laik.Design to redo their primary work spaces. That’s how the MOIA Offices got their bright and innovative new look!
MOIA is the branch of the larger Volkswagen company that provides on-demand mobility services to the surrounding area and internationally. From the beginning, the goal was to provide an open, bright, and engaging space with all kinds of diverse, comfortable, and motivating places for employees to choose from to work.
The office at large occupies a 1,400 square metre space in the centre of the historic Stadthöfe building in Hamburg’s downtown core. Referred to as a “work home” rather than just an office, the space is known for its cozy, comfortable layout and amicable atmosphere, as well as its incorporation of cheerful, motivating bright colours, decor, and themes that change from spot to spot.
In total, the office is “home” to 120 employees. Designers took great care and put thoughtful effort into making sure the space offers flexible meeting boxes for smaller (one on one or in teams of four) collaboration situations, individual study spaces, kitchen and break areas, and common spaces for visitors to wait or meet with employees in.
The kitchen, which is fully equipped just like a kitchen in the average home, lies in the very heart of the office like a central hub. In the corner, a fully functioning cafe station sits for smaller break when an employee simply needs a walk around and a coffee to fresh themselves before getting back to work.
Larger meetings and full office presentations are accounted for in the layout as well. To the side of the kitchen is a spacious communal seating area for workshops and meetups. Acoustics around the office at large were improved from what the building originally had to offer in the way LAIK.Design conceptualized and installed a tailor-made wooden ceiling.
Besides improving sound quality and travel power, the custom ceiling is actually also quite decorative. It is made from wooden triangles, circles, and battens that have a sort of intriguing visual quality that easily catches the yes of visitors. This plays off the presence of bright wall murals and art pieces by local artists that depict and play off of themes of social movements and networking and other things interlinked with the company’s business and industry.
Photos by Sarah Rubensdörffer
