Dan Pearlman created interiors that in reflecting the cutting-edge reputation of the client also turned a gloomy building into efficient and pleasing open-plan spaces

Details

Client:MTV Networks
Design: Dan Pearlman
Size: 715 sq m
Completion time: 10 months

Project Details

When German design company Dan Pearlman was commissioned to design the MTV Networks headquarters in Berlin, it was faced with the challenge of transforming a gloomy office building into an open-plan space which met the needs of more than 200 employees. And representing the company’s cutting-edge reputation was a must.

Before beginning work on a concept, the creative director of Dan Pearlman Marcus Fischer insisted that the MTV Networks employees be interviewed to establish a clear idea of what the new offices should entail. ‘The most important part of the design process for us was the employee interviews, because you often find that there is a huge difference between your theoretical design and what people actually need,’ says Fischer. Once the team had an idea of what the staff’s expectations were – and they included plenty of relaxed meeting space – they set to work.

The architecture of the HQ building has often been described as stringent and cold, so with this in mind Fischer decided it was essential to counterpoint this – beginning with the reception area.

The main feature of the reception here, as in most schemes, is the reception desk. With a desire to make the desk appealing, a rounded design in Corian was chosen due to the material’s warm-to-the-touch quality, as well as its robust nature.

With screens tuned to MTV channels and the MTV Germany colour scheme of brown, yellow and white incorporated into the reception area, including settees by Cor Kelp, brand awareness is present from the offset.

On the first floor an ‘axis of inspiration’ has been created by opening up the entire centre area from the north to the south facade. With the intention of creating a large, recreational space where people could hold informal meetings, eat lunch or catch up, the Brand Garden was born.

With the building being based in such an urban part of Berlin, where trees and parks are rare, the idea to bring the outside in came about. Abstract 3m-tall tree parasols – trunks in painted steel and ‘branches’ clad in plastic laminate – surround a central lime-green settee designed by Dan Pearlman and produced by Artis.

Other furniture, including desks and benches also designed by Dan Pearlman and produced by Artis, which curve at one end in a nod to the ‘M’ in the MTV Networks logo, and pebble-shaped beanbags in felt by Smarin, hold the extensive space together. A ‘forest floor’ of smoked oak in dark brown has been installed to continue the naturalistic theme and leaf patterned backlit foil columns gradually light up as the evening closes in.

Surrounding the atrium is the Red Network Kitchenette, a sports lounge, and a meeting area designed with projections in mind. The kitchenette has been designed in a way that allows it to become more of a recreational space once the lunch period is over, as Fischer wanted the room to have functionality all through the working day.

Here Vitra rocking chairs in red and suspended ceiling lamps by Belux Focus sit among more Artis furniture designed by Dan Pearlman. A meeting area, which features more settees by Cor Kelp, this time set against set against two plain white walls, has been designed to create a space suitable for projection-based meetings, and a sports lounge – featuring table football and table tennis – takes on a blue colour scheme.

‘We wanted to use different colour schemes in each area to create different atmospheres,’ says Fischer. This also plays a large part in separating the areas without using intrusive walls and breaking up the atrium.

suppliers:
Flooring:

• Undkrauss - undkrauss.com

Lighting:

• Belux - belux.com
• Foscarini - foscarini.it
• XAL - xal.com

furniture:

• Smarin - smarin.net
• Cor - Kelpcor.de
• Vitra- Vitra.com

Bespoke Furniture:

• Artis - artisengineering.de
• Forex - forexplatten.de
• Corian - dupont.com

This article was first published in fx Magazine.