A new look, a new concept and lots of new spaces for working, networking, thinking and being creative – our new offices in the Westgate building in Cologne and in Darmstadt. Over the last months, the office spaces have been completely redesigned and restructured. This article takes you on the journey with us.
Our Cologne office in Westgate
Our Cologne office, located centrally on Rudolfplatz, has changed constantly over the last few years. From over-full offices in 2019 (together with the transfer of some teams to a co-working space) to completely empty rooms during the Covid pandemic, followed by the closure of some spaces due to many employees opting to work remotely. Since then, employees have been able to use the remaining areas quite flexibly, but there were not enough meeting spaces, too few places for creative exchange and too much unexploited potential. In the end, the answer wasn’t just obvious to our office management: A makeover of the offices, which are spread across approximately 1,500 square metres and three different floors, was needed.
A new concept – decided democratically
Thanks to the help of the interior designers from Stanke Interior Design and our office management team, initial ideas and concepts were drawn up last year and the needs and requirements that we at Kaufland e-commerce have for our offices were analysed. To achieve this, various employees were selected from different departments to take part in a workshop and hash out ideas, objectives and wishes. They also had the chance to ask their respective teams for input as well. From all these results, the designers then created three final concepts.
These concepts were presented to the employees and everyone wanting to take part was able to vote for their favourite. The option with the most votes was ultimately realised.
Nora was part of the workshop:
I think it’s great that employees from every department were involved in the planning process for the office renovation – this meant that different teams were able to contribute their own individual needs for day-to-day operations. We were even involved in choosing the colours. For me personally, the focus on ergonomics (such as height-adjustable desks at all workstations) was particularly important, as was having enough space to work creatively and, of course, to have lunch and chat together during the break. Everything was taken into account and implemented.
Nora, Team Lead Social Media
The result in Cologne
And this is what the result of all the hours of work looks like in our Cologne office:
Meeting rooms: The meeting rooms encourage creative exchange, providing the perfect environment for in-depth collaboration. Ergonomic chairs, screens, pinboards and more ensure that there are no limits to productivity here. Semi-private as well as closed meeting rooms are available.
Open spaces: Whether it’s a short stand-up meeting, a chat with colleagues or a Nintendo tournament – the open spaces of the offices can be used flexibly. Kept in bright colours and with enough chairs, they are also ideal for internal company events.
Different zones: Of course, there are also normal workstations – i.e. desks equipped with monitors etc. – and every employee can reserve a space for themselves in advance. Every desk is height-adjustable to make sure that work is as back-friendly as possible. In addition, we decided to create different zones throughout the office: A high-volume area for those who make lots of calls or want to chat with their neighbour. A medium-volume zone where people can also chat briefly, and a low-volume zone where absolute quiet is required. In this way, we ensure that everyone in the office feels comfortable and can get on with work without being disturbed. The zones are differentiated by colour – thanks to partition walls everyone also has their own area.
Reception: Of course, there is still a reception in our Cologne office where our office management have their space. As a result of a clear design and a modern look, visitors can now see directly where to check-in when they come to Kaufland e-commerce.
Kitchens: As part of the renovation, our kitchens also got a new look. Each of the three floors has a fully equipped kitchen with a coffee machine, a Quooker tap for boiling and sparkling water, fresh fruit baskets and plenty of space to spend lunch breaks with colleagues.
There are also offices for teams that require separate rooms – for example our HR department, or the Finance and Legal teams.
Here are a few impressions of our Cologne office space:
Impressions of our offices in Cologne. Pictures: Stefan Durstewitz Fotografie. Design: Stanke Interior Design.
The Darmstadt Techhub
The old office in Darmstadt was too big and not energy-efficient enough, so the local team decided to find a new location for the Techhub. Naturally, we also got Stanke Interior Design to renovate the space in the same look as the Westgate in Cologne. Beginning in August, the colleagues in Darmstadt will be able to use the new rooms spread over 344 square metres. The new location? Right in the middle of the city centre!
As in the Cologne office, there are two think tanks (one closed and one open), which are used for creative brainstorming and collaborative work. There is also a reception, a kitchen, another meeting room, bookable workstations and a gaming area with a lounge for relaxing and networking.
Curious about how the rooms looked before and what they look like now? See for yourself!
Before and after impressions of our offices in Darmstadt.
The new office spaces in Cologne and Darmstadt not only look great, they are also much more inviting and vibrant than before.
I like that all desks in the new office have adjustable heights. Overall, I think it has a better usage of space than before.
Erick, Senior Data Scientist