For more than 40 years, the German news magazine Der Spiegel has been located in Brandstwiete, Hamburg, in a building characterized by Verner Panton’s colorful pop art design.  Spiegel Online and Spiegel TV had been situated at other locations in the city, but now the three divisions are consolidated in one building – the new Spiegel Headquarters.

The new headquarters has a prominent location in the inner harbor of Hamburg.  Together with the office building Ericus-Contor that forms part of the complex, Spiegel Headquarters rises from a red tile base, above which floats a bright, transparent building volume of glass, steel and concrete.

The headquarters complex was designed by Henning Larsen Architects of Copenhagen, and offers a clear focus on contact points, meeting places and communication.  It houses 1,100 employees, with bright, transparent design to support work processes in the editorial offices, documentary department and publishing division.  Individual floors are connected by stairs and footbridges rising across the central atrium space.  A large central window creates an active dialog between the activities of the media group and city life.

The fifth floor contains a café inspired by Panton’s interior design for the earlier 1969 headquarters.  The original red pop art environment creates an evocative gathering point for employees.  From the outside, it stands out as a red-orange field in the façade facing the city.  The colors are part of the company’s identity and have been re-used in several places throughout the building.

The building connects old Hamburg with the new urban quarter of HafenCity and creates a vibrant urban space with squares and recreational spaces along the Elbe River.

For more on Henning Larsen Architects, go to http://www.henninglarsen.com/themes/frontpage.aspx