A digital hub in the historic Kaisersaal

A digital hub in the historic Kaisersaal
An innovation community in rural Weserbergland - that is the major goal of the large "zedita" project of the Weserbergland University of Applied Sciences (HSW). In cooperation with various partners from administration, science and business, including WINI Büromöbel, a digital hub called "zedita" was created in the historic Kaisersaal of Hameln's railway station. The centre promotes innovation and digital working in the district of Hameln-Pyrmont.

It is a breathtaking view from the top floor at the top of Hameln station. Visitors look through large anthracite windows directly onto a long fork in the tracks. Trains pass you sometimes on the right and sometimes on the left to stop at the platforms of the building, which was constructed in 1872. Inside: a 15-metre high hall in the shape of a horseshoe with pure white walls and a light-flooded glass dome above the open hall. Linear LED wall lights arranged in a circle are reminiscent of torches from years gone by. The historic Kaisersaal is home to the new innovation community with over 700 sqm of coworking and workshop space.

The name zedita stands for Centre for Digital Transformation and New Work. When designing the working environment, however, the focus is not on technology, but on the most important actor: people. The HSW team is convinced that the environment has a significant influence on the way we act and work together. That's why the spaces should have a high quality of stay to enable or even provoke spontaneous meetings. At the same time, the spaces are never completely finished (according to the beta principle). This means that the furniture, materials and arrangements are always adapted over time so that the environment constantly meets changing requirements. The community can participate in designing and adapting the workspaces.

One partner of this community is WINI Büromöbel from nearby Marienau. WINI has been cooperating with the HSW in the field of training and further education for several years. Therefore, the first talks about a possible cooperation at zedita took place early on. Together, a holistic furnishing concept was developed. The mix of aesthetic ambience and functional, creatively stimulating workspace was probably the greatest challenge. The detailed configurations as well as the choice of materials and colours were based on the given mood board and corporate design of zedita. The result: a colourful world of furnishings with many different solutions that are constantly being developed. In the future, new products and ideas will also be tested in the working environment in the different work scenarios and user groups - according to the design thinking principle. One example of this is a variant of the WINEA MAXX cabinet system as an open shelf on castors.

In the Kaisersaal, each area has been given its own added value. Predominantly communicative zones have been created for collaboration, as well as workspaces that can be used for group work, but also for concentrated work. There is mobile and stackable furniture, which can be quickly repositioned and is also ergonomically adjustable. In order to make the furnishings as durable and sustainable as possible, attention was paid to the high quality of the furniture. WINEA FLOW and TWISTER tables are just two of the examples used in the coworking space. Acoustics are also a big issue in the historic premises. Carpeting, partition walls and acoustically effective panels are what make the coexistence of communication and concentration possible in the first place.

In November 2021, the doors of the new Centre for Digital Transformation & New Work opened for the first time. Since then, workshops, seminars, project or team meetings of partners, young companies and freelancers have been held there regularly. As soon as the platform at the WINI Forum is built, WINIs and visitors will even have a direct train connection to the doors of the Digital Hub. All in all, an exciting and creative project with innovation guaranteed.

WINI Büromöbel

HSW Hameln