Groupon GmbH

The historical centre of Berlin has been the new company base of Groupon, the world-wide operating e-commerce platform, since July 2012. Spread over five floors and a total floor space of 8,500sq m, the new Groupon Center on Hausvogteiplatz provides sufficient room for a steadily growing enterprise. Its IT, product development and online marketing workforce based in Berlin is responsible for business with central Europe and more than 30 countries round the globe - a workforce that's more than 800-strong (and counting).

In the historical Art Nouveau style building, marble meets new media: previously used by the SAT1/PRO7 media group, the building was awoken from its sleeping beauty state in a record six months’ construction time by de Winder, Berlin architects. While the sumptuous charm of the very early 20th century stairways has been preserved in what was originally a fashion house, on the separate storeys of offices a brightly coloured, communicative and functional open plan working environment was created – dotted with various glass meeting boxes, kitchenettes, and centralised copy and meeting points (stand-ups). Compact, well-organised 4-leg benches with two to six workstations and a uniform appearance throughout create a striking impression of the new, transparent Groupon office environment, where acoustically-effective cabinet elements, floating ceiling panels and suspended acoustic panels all ensure concentration in a quiet work environment.

Working with Raumhaus GmbH, specialised dealers, WINI delivered and assembled the furniture for more than 800 workstations within ten days. Bench solutions from the WINEA PRO range were designed specially for this project, and linked up in a line or in block formation as workstation zones for up to 10 employees, depending on the space requirements. To optimise work organisation and keep the desktop clear for important matters, they were fitted with different features like special bags or office utensil trays attached under the desks, and function rails were installed between the desk tops. These can not only be adapted to accommodate workstation lighting and laptop holders, but can even take on several monitors at each workplace. Provision of electricity is central, with electric and network cables running from the floor to the single workstations via extra broad linked chain cable tidies right up to the extra large, accident-proof cable ducts. Practical pencil-holders are countersunk flush with the table top, and electric sockets, too, ready for instant use to connect laptops or cell phones.

Groupon GmbH, Berlin

de Winder Architekten GbR, Klaus de Winder, Berlin

WINI Büromöbel Georg Schmidt GmbH & Co. KG