Stephan Hürlemann has just moved. Rather than choosing classic office premises his studio is now located in a new commercial building with a panoramic view out over Zurich. The building with its modular space concept in the district of Albisrieden was designed by SLIK Architekten for mixed usage, something that Hürlemann considers very appropriate for today. He firmly believes that the classic open plan office is on its way out. “The digital age calls for new work concepts,” he explains, and contrasts the industrial charm of expanses of rough concrete stretching out over 300 m² with floor-length acoustic curtains, light wood and flexible room dividers known as “Dancing Walls”.

With their metal castor-based frames, these mobile walls can be easily moved within a room but are, at the same time, stable. Any module can be converted into a different one if so required – and can thus morph from room divider with removable whiteboards and pin boards, into shelves, monitor carts, cloakroom or plant carts. They can be rolled, pulled, turned and pushed in order to rapidly structure office space: “Just like with a pop-up, with the ‘Dancing Walls’ you can make whatever room you happen to require at the moment,” explains Hürlemann. And new work scenarios can be created very easily – a meeting corner can be transformed into a work cubicle, a presentation forum into a place of retreat, a lounge into a completely closed brainstorming space.

Hürlemann developed this agile working environment when involved in designing PwC Switzerland’s new Experience Center, it is part of his new space concept “Dancing Office”. Vitra agreed to manufacture the Dancing Walls and they have now gone into mass production. Over the coming years one of Hürlemann’s projects will be to continue to develop this agile working environment and to conduct in-depth research into the future of the project. With this in mind, using the concept himself for his studio is ideal for optimizing it.