Global companies usually favour uniform international concepts, yet architecture firm Kinzo has managed to create genuine individuality and identity for an office at its new Munich location.

Creating a workspace where employees feel at home whilst satisfying international client requirements and responding to local conditions requires a careful balancing act. German architecture firm Kinzo—founded in 2005 by Karim El-Ishmawi, Martin Jacobs, and Chris Middleton, with offices in Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich—faced exactly this challenge. Their brief was to design an office for a global software company relocating around 400 employees, subtly and elegantly bridging international standards with distinctly local character. The life and spirit of the city on the Isar needed to shine through.

Local cultural references are subtly integrated throughout the office without relying on clichéd stereotypes or obvious tourist imagery.
© Sorin Morar

True to the motto 'Localise it!', Kinzo drew inspiration from Munich's flowing lifeline—the River Isar—for their New Work concept. From the initial pitch, developed by teams in Berlin and Munich, they actively sought to marry forward-thinking work environments with the distinctive lifestyle of the Bavarian capital. The approach proved successful and resonated strongly with the client. During the second phase, the team refined the details through weekly digital meetings, enabling project participants from Germany, the UK, India, and the USA to contribute their expertise.

The design balances international corporate requirements with authentic regional character, creating a genuine sense of place for employees.

Bespoke design elements and carefully curated details reflect the essence of Munich's street life and cultural heritage.

Around 400 employees of this global software solutions company—which employs approximately 40,000 people worldwide—now experience a slice of Munich's culture each working day. Rather than relying on clichéd Oktoberfest trappings or traditional Bavarian costume, carefully curated details serve as subtle reminders that this is Munich, where strolling the Isar's green banks on a glorious day remains one of the city's most cherished pastimes. Located in eastern Munich's 'Die Macherei' district, the office sits well away from the city's famous 'blue ribbon'—the Isar. This distance only heightened the architects' determination to root the interior design firmly in local character and bring the essence of Munich's street life indoors.

The office interior brings the spirit of the city indoors through thoughtful architectural choices and local artistic collaborations.

Modern New Work principles are seamlessly combined with distinctive Bavarian design motifs and cultural references throughout the space.

Throughout the office—designed to the latest New Work standards—accents have been woven in that unmistakably, and perhaps with a hint of humour, reference to Munich. The Bavarian lozenge pattern reappears in various guises: zigzag-hung pendant lights, wall shelving at reception, and as motifs in built-in furniture and tiling. The characteristic grooved render of Munich's historic building façades finds expression in the vertical relief of acoustic panels. A beer tap in the games room nods to Bavarian brewing culture—genuinely celebrated together at week's end. Meanwhile, blue-and-white curtains used to zone the expansive ground-floor workspace offer a playful homage to the azure skies above the city.

The workspace accommodates 400 employees whilst fostering a strong connection to Munich's lifestyle and local traditions.

Patterns and fabrics aren't the only elements reflecting the cityscape—the furniture's very forms echo Munich's character. The Isar's meandering course is mirrored in elongated seating benches that flow gracefully through communal areas. Abundant greenery paired with abstract mountain motifs creates the sense of an organically flowing landscape. Bespoke artworks from local artists provide the final flourish, perfectly balancing international workplace functionality with a genuine sense of home.

International workplace functionality is perfectly balanced with genuine regional identity, creating an inspiring environment for the global team.

The new office delivers comprehensive functionality for today's working environment. Ground-floor facilities include an entrance lobby with reception, welcome area, back-of-house spaces, and two training rooms regularly used by clients. Accommodation across the third and fourth floors encompasses back-office operations, open-plan offices, private offices, and conference facilities of various scales, complemented by collaboration areas, client zones, cafés, and multipurpose rooms. Additional amenities include printing facilities, lockers, parent rooms, and informal break areas. The design prioritised sustainability and premium bespoke joinery, with building services expertly planned by Happold.

Architecture firm Kinzo has successfully woven Munich's distinctive character throughout this international software company's new office design.

Kinzo is an internationally active architecture practice specialising in interior fit-outs, adaptive building work, and placemaking. The multidisciplinary teams across Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich manage projects of every scale—from initial concept through to completion. They develop progressive concepts that revitalise spaces and adapt them to evolving needs. At the heart of each design lies the perspective of future users. Through this holistic and collaborative approach, Kinzo creates distinctive living and working environments that attract and inspire people in enduring ways.

The workspace demonstrates how global companies can embrace local identity whilst maintaining international standards and functionality.

© All pictures: Sorin Morar

Originally written by Barbara Jahn, translated and slightly adapted by Helen Parton