Lightnet: What was the client's brief – what requirements does the project have to meet?
Peggy Bergner: Eisen-Fischer has been based in the rural region of Nördlingen (Donau-Ries district) for 150 years. They operate in the bathroom and sanitary, energy and heating, tools and components, and iron and steel sectors.
Eisen-Fischer's goal was to find skilled workers in Nördlingen, retain them and inspire them with the new working environment.
The employees were involved via team ambassadors and the future working environment was developed according to the principles of New Work. Digitalisation, paperless working, desk sharing and work-life balance played a major role in this.
In addition, WS rules were implemented and a change roadmap was developed.
Extensive renovations were carried out in two construction phases within the existing building shell. The left side was a windowless storage area in an industrial hall. The façade was opened up all around and, due to the depth of the building, large skylights were also installed in the roof to provide the central area with daylight and make it a pleasant place to spend time.
What is the approach behind the interior design concept and what do the different colours mean?
The idea behind the design concept was to create a connection to the countryside using natural materials such as wood and muted, soft colours, as well as plenty of daylight and numerous green plants.
The zigzag lighting concept in the office space was intended to strike a balance between functionality and design by creatively combining light and acoustics, while also breaking up the softness and creating an invigorating contrast.
The colour scheme for the meeting rooms was the client's request, and we then considered how to use it appropriately depending on the purpose of the meeting in order to promote the desired mood and dynamic in the rooms. As a result, co-creation became red and the small, more classic meeting room became blue.
We thought that if we were going to use colour, we should do it properly... and fortunately, we were able to convince the building owners and specialist planners to have the heating and cooling panels painted in matching colours.
However, the large conference room was kept neutral.
What were the reasons behind your decision to use Lightnet luminaires, and how do they fit into the overall concept?
The decision to recommend Lightnet products was based on a combination of design and functional requirements: as designers, we specified the zigzag design as a central design element, while Ruco was responsible for the precise implementation and detailed lighting design.
Lightnet was chosen on our recommendation because the company not only offers the highest quality in lighting technology, but was also able to optimally meet the design requirements of our concept. In addition, we are already familiar with Lightnet's products from previous projects and value their reliability, flexibility and technical excellence. This experience reinforced our decision to use Lightnet for this project, as we were confident that their solutions would perfectly translate our design idea into a functional and aesthetically sophisticated lighting solution.
What does the German Design Award 2025 mean for the project and for you personally?
The German Design Award 2025 is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of design and underlines the innovative strength, aesthetics and functionality of your project.
For the project, this award represents high recognition by an international jury of experts. It confirms the design excellence and raises the project to a new level of visibility and appreciation – both within the industry and among potential customers and partners.
For me personally, winning the German Design Award for the fifth time is a special confirmation of our continuous work and our high design standards. Every award is an honour, but this one in particular shows that our design philosophy has a lasting impact and continues to set new standards. It motivates me and our team to continue realising innovative and aesthetically outstanding projects. At the same time, it is also recognition of the passion and commitment that goes into each of our designs.
Many thanks to our project partners:
Interior design: designfunktion Nürnberg GmbH
Participating planning companies: Ingenieurbüro Riefle GmbH & Co. KG
