Speaking during the opening ceremony, Dr Peter Tschentscher, Mayor of Hamburg, said: "The headquarters in Bramfeld offers modern, attractive jobs. It is the international group's commitment to its traditional base in Hamburg." The new building is based on the so-called "activity-based working principle" and allows for a new working environment. The teams decide who works when, how and where, depending on the project. Employees can choose where they want to work and in the way that is best-suited to their tasks. There is no longer a mandatory back-to-office rule, and there are no fixed workstations or individual offices. The same applies to top management.
New Work - Germany's largest online retailer opens new headquarters for 3,000 employees in Bramfeld
The Otto Group opened Tuesday (April 16, 2024) its new headquarters on the Otto Group campus in north-east Hamburg at a cost of EUR 100 million. Set up in the spirit of New Work, the nine-storey building features 1,600 workstations for more than 3,000 people in a converted warehouse. “Now, more than ever and especially in our hybrid working world, we need a place that combines remote working and in person efficiently and where people like coming together regularly to a develop ideas together," said Katy Roewer, a member of the Otto Board for Service & HR.
"Activity-based working principle"
Audio media libraries, digital campfire and video lounges
Programmers can code at special pair programming stations. Those who want to work in privacy can go to acoustically shielded audio libraries to make phone calls or video calls or to libraries to work in silence. People can gather around the "digital campfire" for hybrid meetings. They can avail of special video lounges with 270-degree zoom cameras, double screens and highly sensitive microphones on the ceiling. Teams can use the lockable, modular workspaces in so-called "project garages".
Sustainability and ecology
Sustainability and ecology were key aspects of the New Work environment. The Hamburg-based architects akyol kamps decided to conserve resources and opted to refurbish a 1960s warehouse over a five-year period rather than construct a new building. The new headquarters features state-of-the-art heating and cooling ceilings for energy-efficient temperature control, and consumes environment-friendly electricity via a link to the Hamburg district heating network.
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