Straight talking: System 180

Berlin’s inhabitants are known for not beating around the bush. Maybe it’s the old Prussian spirit or perhaps an awareness of the preciousness of time that comes with a multi-layered, sometimes volatile, history. Whatever the reason, there’s a refreshing directness of communication here that you don’t necessarily find in other parts of the country. Berliners like to talk.

It’s fitting, therefore, that System 180 – the modular-furniture experts specialising in solutions for the workplace – should be based in the city. For they are as much a platform for research-driven dialogue on the future of work – a talking shop, if you will – as they are manufacturer of physical products.

Founded in 1990 and located in Adlershof’s Media City, the award-winning, Made-in-Berlin brand has collaboration in its blood. Comprising architects, designers and engineers, System 180 is driven by an ever-evolving conversation, both internally and in the form of a continuous discussion with partners from the fields of business, science and trade.

The result? A dynamic portfolio of agile products that respond to a rapidly changing digital world where old office-interior typologies are no longer valid. ‘Our absolute best research, to be honest, comes via direct contact to the market and by talking to our customers,’ explains System 180 CEO Andreas Stadler. ‘Berlin offers an excellent environment for this. Ideas and prototypes are then optimised through iterative testing.’

X marks the spot

It all started with a cross-joint developed in the early 1980s by Professor Jürg Steiner. Simple, yet ingenious, the clever node connection allows filigree steel rods to be joined robustly with no need for additional constructional support. Its very architecture on display, System 180 has – no prizes for guessing – long appealed to architects, who value its visual legibility and clarity. And, it being a system, its application-specific scalability and flexibility.

‘Everyone can construct and design their work environment according to their vision,’ says Stadler, with functionality ranging from storage and room division to reception counters and desks. The latest addition to the company's portfolio, which sees a new curved module join its SitUp family of bleacher-style, mini-grandstand seating, typifies the brand’s commitment to products that not only facilitate, but also help drive, collaboration and creativity; while their Design Thinking family of ultra-mobile, quickly deployable writing boards, tables and storage – all mounted on castors – further testifies to this…

The game is on

As we, as analogue beings, move to the ever-increasing tempo of the digital realm, the way we as physical beings interact with each other at work is under pressure to become smarter. System 180 allows users to create the optimal environment for this. And, just as importantly, to adapt it continually. Or as Stadler puts it: ‘The most important change we see in the work landscape is the breaking up of rigid structures. This affects organisational structures, workspaces and zones. Everything becomes flexible and mobile. We can support this development excellently with our products.’

Support for architects and other specifiers comes in the form of System 180’s services, too, however. Namely, its planning and visualisation offerings, as well as its individualised product solutions. Know this: the guys in Berlin like nothing better than discussing your interior-spatial problems. Not that they’re short of things to talk about.


© Architonic