In an article published in the 16 November edition of Zeit Magazin, Ilka Piepgras and Matthias Stolz trace the evolution of the company canteen from culinary ‘horror’ to place of ‘feasting’. The ‘Chipperfield Kantine’ in Berlin is recommended as one of the best examples of this new type of office lunch space.
Opened in 2013 as part of the new offices for David Chipperfield Architects Berlin, the canteen forms the heart of the campus and sits between two courtyards. Besides providing access to the canteen and offices, the first courtyard – designed by Peter Wirtz – offers shaded space for outdoor eating. The venue is open to staff and public alike and it adheres to the tradition of the Berliner Höfe (courtyards) that form an active part of public life allowing work and leisure to intimately overlap.