At the heart of Berlin’s Quartier Heidestrasse, SCOPE Architekten designed a 29,000-square-metre Digital Campus for one of Europe’s leading software companies. Extending across 13 floors within Buildings A–C of the QH Track complex designed by EM2N, the workplace provides space for around 1,000 employees working on future-oriented technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain. The interior concept translates the idea of a connected and dynamic working environment into space while simultaneously drawing on Berlin’s industrial heritage.
Located within Europacity and within walking distance of Berlin Central Station, the campus is embedded in one of the city’s major new urban developments. The surrounding context became an important source of inspiration for the interior. Nearby landmarks such as Hamburger Bahnhof, the AEG Turbine Factory and Westhafen represent different stages of industrial development, from Industry 1.0 to 3.0. The Digital Campus continues this narrative as an expression of Industry 4.0. Industrial materials, exposed ceilings and concrete surfaces are combined with innovative layering, translating the dialogue between Berlin’s past and its digital future into the workplace.
The spatial sequence begins with a two-storey foyer in Building A, where reception, an espresso bar and an adjoining event space establish a central point of arrival. A seven-metre-high brick wall becomes a defining architectural element, accompanied by a large LED installation that introduces the central concept of connecting physical and digital space. Raw concrete, visible building services and industrial details reinforce the character of the interior, while carefully layered materials introduce depth and contrast.
A single-flight staircase connects the foyer with the restaurant on the first floor. More than a traditional corporate canteen, the space is conceived as a social environment for dining, informal communication and spontaneous meetings. Different seating typologies and bookable tables for business lunches allow the space to accommodate a variety of uses throughout the day. The same level also houses an IT Link Center that combines technical support with a presentation space for IT equipment.
Across the office floors, a broad spectrum of workplace typologies responds to different modes of working. Around 1,000 workstations are distributed between enclosed offices for two, four or eight people, flexible open-space areas, think tanks and informal settings for brainstorming and spontaneous exchange. Six different meeting-room typologies are complemented by individually designed “Specials” developed together with employees. Spaces such as the Digital/Analog Game Room and a ball pit introduce unconventional settings for interaction, creative work and retreat, making user participation an integral part of the workplace concept.
The sixth floor forms the social heart of the campus. Conceived as an intermediate level, it combines multifunctional presentation spaces with a large Work Café. High benches with integrated screens, flexible grandstands, lounges and wagon-like seating elements create different atmospheres for communication, collaboration and informal work. An adjoining 700-square-metre roof terrace connects the different parts of the campus and offers employees a place for retreat and recreation with panoramic views across Berlin.
On the uppermost floors, customer and training areas offer further meeting rooms and break-out spaces with panoramic views over the city. An open staircase connects the Customer Experience Center with the training facilities, while the recurring brick wall continues the architectural language established in the foyer.
Throughout the project, architecture becomes a framework for a new campus culture centred on communication, collaboration and creativity. By combining industrial references with contemporary workplace typologies and by interweaving physical and digital environments, SCOPE creates a workplace that connects Berlin’s architectural history with the future-oriented identity of the software company.
