Alexander Fehre used aluminium-mesh partitions and metal light fittings to suggest an industrial aesthetic in this showroom and office for a conveyor-belt company in Germany (+ slideshow).
Alexander Fehre designed Movet Office Loft for manufacturer Movet across a single storey of an old industrial building in the town of Schorndorf, just outside Stuttgart.
The German designer used the aluminium mesh to partition the different activities of the business, while retaining the industrial look of the old building.
"All parts of the interior were designed with the function as first demand," Fehre told Dezeen.
Panels of aluminium mesh also enclose the meeting space, creating a corridor that runs between the platform and a row of desks for the company's employees. "It has a subtle filter effect for the open-plan space," said the designer.
The designer said he chose the material as many of Movet's clients have a metalwork background. "It is important that they feel comfortable and related to the industry they are working in," he said.
A raised larch platform in the centre of the office forms an open-plan meeting room and kitchen for employees that also serves as a showroom for clients, with conveyor-belt elements displayed on white display plinths and shelves around the room.
A five-metre-long table with an oak-veneer top and coral lacquered legs sits in the middle of the space with copper and enamelled lighting fixtures – designed by Form Us With Love – suspended on cabling above it.
The large metal shades contribute to the office's industrial feel.
The company sells mainly online, meaning clients do not often visit the offices. This allowed Fehre to retain a predominantly open-plan layout for the offices, with a showroom at its centre that makes clients "part of the action".
"My idea was to put the showroom and conference table right into the heart of the office – the so-called Movet Workshop. The result is a generous room for the team and a down-to-earth and hands on showroom for the clients," said Fehre.
Across the corridor, a workspace for eight employees has angular furniture constructed from oak-veneered plywood and linoleum.
The wooden furniture balances on the points of triangular sheets of cladding that extend from the surfaces of the cabinets and tables to the floor.
The storage cabinets are manufactured from one single element which is rotated and joined to form a complete piece.
"This repetition, paired with an easy to handle surface material, makes the units cost-efficient, while resonating with the theme of industrial production," said the designer.
The cabinets are coated in a ceramic-lacquer that disguises the joints in the pieces to give a seamless finish.
Acoustic-foam baffles are arranged in between the wooden ceiling beams in a pattern that echoes the shapes of the furniture and metal mesh. These baffles dampen noise and reflect lighting.
"The idea was to use the baffles in a special way to emphasise the relation of Movet to the conveyor belt industry. Therefore, they are designed as one running pattern over the whole workplace area," said the designer.
Beyond the open-plan desk space, the corridor turns to lead to the company’s shipping warehouse. A mirrored wall at the end of the corridor conceals a storage space.
Photography is by Zooey Braun.
