Concept

The new TAZ building is taking on the egalitarian and non-hierarchical mindset of the reknown left-oriented editing and publishing house, and reinterprets this approach spatially anew. Consequently, rather than using isolated floor plates, all employees are seated on “one level”. There is only one floor reaching from the ground floor all the way up to the roof level. The office spaces rise step-by-step gradually around the new “heart of the TAZ”, - a spiral shaped atrium formed by ramps and steps - and culminate in the roof garden with a 360° panoramic view over the center of Berlin and the surrounding creativity borrow.

The communication corridor

The building’s new center piece is the barrier-free ramp that starts at the lower ground floor and leads up to the roof-top. This ramp is access corridor for offices as well as “communication corridor”. It winds up in a clockwise direction and connects to the inner void space via an arrangement of steps. The shape of this void space is an imitation of the TAZ’s house logo – the panther’s paw. The space between ramp and void takes on all communication and exchange functions: Meeting rooms, tea and coffee kitchens as well as work spaces are complemented by spontaneous communication platforms and comfortable sitting areas that are sometimes directly connected via spiral stairs. Within this “communication corridor” colleagues can be seen from various positions and directly contacted for a brief exchange.
At the ground floor, walking through the foyer and reception visitors will reach the open building center and the circulation ramp. On the left side, the ramp leads to the cooperative’s room and the conference area. On their way up visitors are guided through a brief history of the publishing house before reaching the event area. On the right side, one finds the elevators and the descending side of the ramp, which allows a barrier-free access to the lower leveled amphitheater – an open event space at the heart of the building.

Office space

The offices are located and rise along the atrium ramp. Every level is barrier-free and accessible through the ramp. Moveable wall elements function as pinboards and acoustic baffles. These allow a flexible handling and separation either into cell-like or open plan work areas. The entire structure is designed as timber construction which is openly shown and used as the final surface structure. Wooden beams and columns are complemented by wooden ceiling casting elements. The latter are equipped with acoustic absorbing fins on their underside. Natural materials dominate the remaining surfaces.
The work places are characterised through open, but differentiated areas with “green” facades, balconies, warm wooden surfaces and the communication corridor with its sitting areas, spiral stairs and transparent meeting rooms. The spacial diversity as well as the light-optimized and green facade create optimal working conditions.

Facade design

The timber construction of the office spaces is extended by 1m every first and 2,5 m every second level. Using this gradual structure the generated balconies are extensively planted. This establishes a comfortable relation to the exterior and serve as perfect presentation surfaces for political motivated billboard presentations. Further, the green facade is a thematically repetition of the adjacent park: Firstly, by adding green to the cityscape, secondly as a reflection of urban diversity through the individual modulation and usability of the differing balcony zones.
Growing out of planters that are integrated into substrates the raking plants (e.g. Chinese wisteria and wild wine) are watered through a rainwater collection cistern. Regularly arranged raking wires enable a controlled vertical growth. Additionally, employees may plant their own plants and thus adjust the facade zone according to their specific shading demands.
During summer the raking plants serve as natural shading elements and generate cool air via evaporation, while during winter the facade is open for solar gain. Thus generated image represents the left-oriented, alternative and self-governed newspaper project and offers comfortably shaded “brakeout” zones.