Anyone who has ever visited the KNOBLAUCH headquarters in Markdorf knows that here, aesthetics in interior design are not just preached, but put into practice. ‘We want to show our customers what’s possible in the office sector and provide our staff with a really great working environment,’ explains managing director and owner Jürgen Zahn. Et voilà! This is how the former office shop café has been transformed into a new office – the home of identity.
It was designed by our interior designers Antje and Luisa. And as is usually the case with in-house projects: they are the most challenging of all. “When the users are your own colleagues, you naturally want to do a particularly good job,” says Luisa. The focus of the refurbishment was, on the one hand, on creating flexible spaces needed for events and workshops, and on the other hand, on providing more quiet spaces for focused work and online meetings. “We also wanted to showcase the KNOBI spirit even more strongly through a sense of openness and transparency,” says Luisa.
To make all this possible, the ground floor was first refurbished. Here, where the shop once stood, the Interdisciplinary Design department has now found a new home. Anyone entering the home of identity is given a warm welcome – and, peering through the green plant wall, immediately catches a glimpse of the sample studio, KNOBLAUCH’s newly designed materials warehouse, where there is plenty to see and touch.
In our showroom, we present a curated selection of:
The showroom has been deliberately designed as a space for tactile exploration. Our clients use the space for inspiration, material sampling and concept development in the fields of interior design, hospitality and office design. Just recently, a client spontaneously spent half a day in the showroom, simply to be inspired by new patterns, colours and materials. What makes it special: the showroom was built entirely from existing furniture – re:used and re:cycled, in other words.
– Antje Uebele
The upper floor features a tried-and-tested eye-catcher: the white-tiled café bar, a social hub and meeting place where customers, guests and staff alike can enjoy their beloved espresso. Flexible seating areas allow for a variety of uses: Here, a comfortable sofa for private conversations; there, a long conference table for meetings – a stylish mix of design classics, vintage furniture and the latest must-haves. The highlight: the atrium – an area separated by a delicate curtain with a view of the olive tree. A wonderful place for meetings, but also for a coffee break.
‘Freiraum’ is the name of the multifunctional space on the upper floor, opposite the café bar. “We stand for genuine collaboration – with customers, suppliers and staff,” says Jürgen. And that’s exactly what requires space. Space for collaboration, meetings, events and genuine cooperation. This is where client meetings, workshops and design sprints take place, as well as after-work and networking events, exhibitions and frequent visits from school and university students.
The entire interior design concept follows the principles of biophilic design – a design approach that deliberately integrates nature into architecture and working environments.
Key elements include:
Where light, colour, materials and organic forms complement one another, a stress-reducing working environment is created that fosters creativity, concentration and collaboration. At the same time, there are plenty of quiet spaces for private conversations, video calls, or simply to relax. In the “Auszeit” room, our staff find a relaxed space for a short yoga session, a few stretching exercises or even a quick power nap. To suit this, there is a comfortable sofa, carpeted flooring, wall bars and several foam rollers. The home of identity is more than just an office; it is a living space for wonderful collaboration.
