Spatial CD for the diplomatic missions of Germany

The competition for a new corporate interior design of Germany’s 227 diplomatic offices and consulates abroad asked for a spatial concept, a furniture concept, and a style guide for furniture and signage based on the Federal Republic of Germany’s corporate design, using Germany’s diplomatic consulate in Shenyang, China, as an example. The competition entry created by gewerkdesign and BCO Architects first established a grid pattern from the 1,600 sqm office space in Shenyang’s business tower into which the different types of space could be fit according to their function. Once established, the planning as well as furniture and signage in all of the consulates would refer to this grid. One of the suggestions in gewerkdesign’s furnishing concept was to use high quality printed reproductions of sketch drawings and working designs of German inventions and famous industrial products. The drawings were to be chosen for each consulate individually from a catalogue with manuscripts, sketchbooks and preliminary designs from German archives.