Oppenländer Rechtsanwälte has opened the doors to their new law offices in Stuttgart, a space that meets the ever changing requirements of work environments.

Ippolito Fleitz Group was tasked with giving the Oppenländer Rechtsanwälte law offices an updated space in Stuttgart, Germany.

On the right side of the law TV series never lie: From Matlock to Harvey Specter, from Dr. Renz to Danni Lowinski, the affairs of the legal profession have fascinated the western hemisphere for decades, if not centuries. However, even this guild is not spared the challenges of the new millennium: the war for talent runs through all the professions. Oppenländer Rechtsanwälte would not be Oppenländer Rechtsanwälte, however, if they did not know how to turn a tricky case to their favour. So instead of resting on their laurels for being regularly listed among Germany’s leading law firms, the law firm located on Stuttgart’s Börsenplatz came up with a new idea: to redesign their office space to meet the changing requirements of work environments – now and in the future. And the mandate for doing so was given to us.

Traditional values, new work worlds One of the senior partners described the change that has moved through the industry in recent years as a transit at a considerably higher speed – bringing better communication and flatter hierarchies at the same time. Because as competition intensifies in an increasingly complex world and young lawyers are required to specialise in a more focused way, their need for greater exchange, soft retreats and face-to-face communication with the people around them increases. Even the hallowed relationship between lawyer and client has become increasingly personal. It was this repositioning that should be expressed in the new office: through high quality that transports traditional virtues such as discretion and reliability, without being too conservative.

Agility begins in the mind The openness of the office is what immediately strikes the eye: A large glass front transforms the new entrance area into a calling card for the firm. Without hesitation, it announces the end to a stuffier era: Airy lamellae bid farewell to the heavy wooden panelling that is so familiar from offices of this weight category. Time-honoured habit cedes to bright and colourful hues. The reception desk manifests the proper sober objectivity that is expected from a law firm. While the waiting room, which doubles as a multi-functional foyer and sometimes event location, displays a lounge-like charm with a significantly higher density of detailing. The floor serves to connect both worlds: using material that is otherwise familiar from Milan metro stations, it tells a story of transformation as a journey.

A journey of transformation The free-flowing, open staircase extends an invitation to embark on a journey: a transition from the here and now to the future, from the public to the discreet, from the chaos of everyday life to the order of legal paragraphs. It opens up with an accordingly sculptural gesture, indicating the way to the workplaces. A wide variety of both open-plan and closed meeting options from a lounge to a cafeteria provide an appropriate setting for every situation.

The bistro area was a heartfelt request from the younger employees: for the first espresso of the day with a start-up client, a coffee break with colleagues or as a quiet retreat in the mid-afternoon.

Because although all things must change, one thing should remain remarkable at all times throughout the customer journey – the law firm’s brand essence. The ability to solve complex tasks through flexible cooperation.

Design: Ippolito Fleitz Group

Photography: Zooey Braun

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