Conversion of a Lawyers' Office in Stuttgart

The practice occupies the upper floors of an office building dating from the 1970s. The brightly lit office cells and the reception overlook a public open space. The open-plan secretarial area is oriented to a quiet courtyard. The conference room and the workout space, which adjoins an existing ventilation shaft, form an acoustic buffer between these two zones. The unconventional design is meant to show that legal affairs can also be conducted in an innovate, dynamic environment. The fitness room is separated from the clients’ areas purely by translucent figured glass walls. Adjoining it is a shower unit and kitchenette, the dark-green colour of which matches that of the existing metal façade. The free-standing nature of this tract is accentuated by the continuous floor finishings. The visual centrepiece, however, is the conference room. Curved on plan and in section, it stands as an independent unit in the foyer. The underlying concept of a think tank or “ark” is reinforced by the raised timber floor – an image borrowed from shipbuilding. The figured glass walls create a uniform spatial impression and a pleasant sense of transparency. Sunlight entering through clerestory lights over the wall cupboards produces changing moods at various times of day. Nevertheless, a sense of privacy is ensured by the wood strips fixed in a distinctive pattern over the outer face of the plywood structure. This spatial sculpture provides a relaxed ambient for confidential discussions.