Badische Zeitung

Ganter rose to the challenge of remodelling a building in the heart of Freiburg, which was protected as a historical monument, as the headquarters of the Badische Zeitung newspaper, a modern media company, with editorial offices and a sales point. Different parts of the building date back to various eras and needed to be modernised. This included removing the old flooring in order to uncover a sturdy subfloor and making all scuncheons in the editorial offices meet current fire standards. With this special project, Ganter was able to prove that we are both able to meet highly complex technical requirements and react flexibly to unexpected occurrences without losing sight of costs and scheduling. The previous Badische Zeitung offices had the character of a traditional artisan establishment – a classic print shop. We wanted to preserve this character while simultaneously creating the space required by a media company in the 21st century. Taking this into consideration, we arrived at the decision to combine bare technical installations and restored plaster ceilings with large coves to give the building an unmistakable look. Ecophon ceiling panels were installed to give the rooms their pleasant acoustics. Unlike in the editorial offices, wooden acoustic elements were specially created for the ceiling panel in the sales point as they allowed for more individual design and precise assembly, which complemented the design concept of the sales point well. To stay true to the main idea of the project – merging old and new together – the old oak parquet floors in the editorial offices were kept and thoroughly refinished. The office’s furniture also complements the features of the historical building and, most importantly, combines high design standards with the functional requirements of the office. Here, robust plastic surfaces possess a modest white and grey elegance.