A piazza for design
‘Flexibility in terms of office presence versus remote work is a matter of course today – and was the deciding factor in completely rethinking our requirements for our working environment,’ says Claudia Neumann. In 1999, she founded one of today's most successful PR agencies in the design and architecture industry. Together with co-managing director Georg Maurer and their team, the duo plays a decisive role in shaping communication between companies, customers and the press. They know which furniture and product designs are leading the way, they know the creative minds behind the ideas and the manufacturers that turn them into reality. The rooms of a Kontorhaus in the Altstadt-Nord district, which have always been part of the agency's history, were to be redesigned in an appropriately inspiring way. Typical of the ‘Neumänner’: every process is thought through holistically. The starting point for the new chapter was marked by a workshop with coach Ina Baum, to find out what the team's individual needs are in terms of the workplace and how the 230 square metres of the old building could best be redesigned. What equipment do the rooms need? And what does a contemporary environment for hybrid working look like?
The conclusion was: versatile. Quiet areas for concentrated work, open spaces for exchange. Workstations that can be booked spontaneously instead of fixed seating arrangements. In addition, a homely atmosphere and plenty of space for the warm hospitality of Claudia Neumann and Georg Maurer. Neumann Communication's clients include the Who's Who of the design industry and the international furniture fair Salone del Mobile.Milano – ideal conditions for interior designer Anke Landsberg. Step by step, she planned the rooms together with the team. The result is as unique as the people who shape Neumann Communication and, at the same time, offers an exciting cross-section of contemporary design. ‘The office speaks to us as a place where we not only experience communication in the best sense as a team, but can also create it for our customers,’ say Claudia Neumann and Georg Maurer.
Starting with an entrance area in bright strawberry red from Caparol Icons, past the office management with cupboard and shelving elements from Tylko in light oak, you reach the centrally positioned ‘Café Auguri’ with a free-standing kitchen block from Leicht and bar stools in black-lacquered beech from the ‘118’ series by Sebastian Herkner for Thonet. The cosy scene is illuminated by the delicate ‘Spokes’ pendant lights by Garcia Cumini for Foscarini. Space was also created for the extensive collection of magazines and books, and furnished with comfortable upholstered furniture as a place of retreat, including the rocking chair ‘Leya Lounge Swing’ by Hoffmann Kahleyss, the ‘Mia’ sofa by Ilja Huber for Freifrau and the ‘Diana’ side table by Konstantin Grcic for ClassiCon.
Next to this are areas for conferences and individual tasks, some of which are divided by curtains from Kvadrat and acoustic panels – appropriately, these are covered with fabric remnants in bright colours from the Danish textile expert. Likewise, the tabletops from Really were made with recycled Kvadrat fibres. At Neumann Communication, you can take a seat on a variety of design classics – from Konstantin Grcic's ‘Chair One’ with a concrete base for Magis, to Hans J. Wegener's ‘Wishbone Chair’ for Carl Hansen & Son, to Lievore Altherr Molina's “Kinesit” office chair for Arper. ‘Ayno S’ by Stefan Diez for Midgard provides flexible lighting for workplaces, while Prediger ceiling panels and ceiling spotlights discreetly create a pleasant lighting mood in all rooms. Even the doors can be opened in style with the ‘1144’ series by Jasper Morrison for FSB. The agency's vibrant history, characterised by a particular passion for design, can also be wonderfully experienced on a photo wall in the bathrooms – side by side with Laufen sanitary ceramics and Décor Walther accessories in matt black, as well as the red ‘AW/PIPE’ fittings by Marcel Wanders for Fantini. Selected works of art that have been part of Claudia and Georg Neumann's collection for many years give the interior of the agency premises a further personal touch.
The selected furniture, accessories, lighting and textiles are symbolic in many ways of the successful collaborations to which Claudia Neumann has made a decisive contribution over the last two decades. For example, she established contact between Thonet and Stefan Diez, which resulted in the ‘404’ chair, now a popular classic. ‘The whole office is full of personal stories that are connected with memories of many designers and clients,’ they say.
Bright, inviting, multifaceted and modular: the team has created a shared workspace in Cologne's Eigelstein district that resembles a showroom, perfectly supporting and reflecting their warm openness, strong network in the design industry, forward-looking thinking and structured way of working. Here's to Neumann Communication and the next 25 years! There is definitely plenty of room for new adventures.
