System 180: Flexible working made in Berlin

The way we work in offices is unquestionably changing, and not just because of the current challenges of the pandemic. Agile restructuring of teams, frequent shifts between working at individual workstations and in smaller and larger teams are the order of the day. Informal meetings are just as important today as classic conferences, and new, creative interior solutions are needed for all these possibilities.

It is clear to architects and interior designers that the more flexibly office furniture and its configurations can react to changing, different team structures, the more fluidly and efficiently work processes can be organised. The goal is to create areas with static and mobile units whose size, design and placement in the given space are precisely tailored to these varying requirements.

The idea of taking the theatre as a model for the development of new office design concepts represents a smart approach. The constant succession of different stage sets has long provided the basis for quickly modifiable and refreshingly unexpected spaces – sometimes as backdrops framing the action, sometimes as flexible scenery. So, let us raise the curtain!

The first generations of modular office furniture were designed by the Swiss architect Jürg Steiner for System 180. Originally trained as a theatre technician, he began working in the early 1980s as an exhibition and lighting designer. These experiences were channelled into the development of the office furniture, with designs that would respond individually to their surroundings – like the scenographic fixtures on a stage.

This means mobile rather than static, light rather than heavy, as well as being easy to configure, set up and convert – characteristics traditionally found in the temporary scenarios of the theatre. But in addition to technical sophistication in construction, dramatic scenery obviously also has an aesthetic dimension.

Beauty and function: Combining these crucial aspects in one system was a key objective when designing System 180 furniture. In the meantime, the Berlin-based company has accumulated many years of expertise in the fields of architecture, planning, production and design. The focus is on modular solutions that can be expanded, exchanged or disassembled as required.

Whether used individually or as combined product groups, System 180 furniture can be used to create a formally coherent and homogeneous overall look in offices, with a choice between static interior systems for long-term installations and flexible variants on castors. A special feature in the programme – and an impressive example of modularity – is the dynamic ‘PartiLine’ element, which is usable in both forms.

Its structure is such that it can be outfitted with cabinet elements and shelf units, and a pinboard made of felt modules for collecting ideas and inspirations can also be integrated, as well as a whiteboard that can be used with adhesive notes, markers or magnets. And if you want to bring natural greenery into the office without the typical office overgrowth spilling onto desks and windowsills, PartiLine can be equipped with elongated planters: this configuration goes under the name ‘GardenParti’.

Retreat rooms and places for informal meetings in particular become contemplative oases that bring a home-like atmosphere into the office, while creating temporary spaces of various sizes like a ‘green screen’ that can take on different appearances, depending on its placement and arrangement. Teams that have the opportunity to relax and find respite ‘in the green’ from time to time are able to recharge and then restart with new energy.

This helps promote lively interaction and collaboration among employees and optimises work processes. Plants promote a healthy indoor climate and assist in reducing distracting noises. A visit to System 180’s website to investigate the diverse possibilities offered by PartiLine and its variants is worthwhile, whether for presentations and workshops, as sculptural but functional interior objects and well-thought-out ‘creators of space’.

Speaking of ‘green offices’, in the case of System 180, this applies in more than just the literal sense because sustainability is one of the cornerstones of its timeless, durable design and production processes, as is the recyclability of the individual components. The concept of ‘acting locally, thinking globallly’ also plays out here: all products are conceived, designed and manufactured in Berlin, saving on transport as well as energy.

Not all office furniture programmes boast genuine modularity, flexibility, functionality or sustainability, but rather just the appearance of such. With System 180, however, the office truly becomes a stage, with exquisitely designed backdrops – and very likely, a happy ending.

© Architonic