Flying makes it possible to cover long distances faster than any other means of transport; however, paradoxically, it is in airports that thousands of working hours are wasted each day. While there may be willingness to work while waiting for a flight, finding the ideal setting is often impossible.

A remedy to the lack of silence

Thousands of people pass through airports, which means that they are inevitably quite noisy. Even something as simple as answering a work call can become a challenge because of the incessant and distracting loud announcements coming from the speakers. The heavy hustle and bustle found in cafes and waiting areas also makes it difficult to concentrate on work. While the airport’s business lounges used to provide a haven for travellers, they have begun to lose their exclusivity and silence due to increased accessibility.

Wanting to offer its passengers a wider range of amenities, Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport (BER) went along with one of the hottest trends in recent times and opened a co-working space. However, this is not an ordinary space filled with desks. NUUUORK is a promising hub for co-working, capable of serving privacy-seeking individuals typing away on their keyboards, podcast-recording influencers, and teams engaged in meetings.

The space is mostly furnished with furniture from the Estonian design furniture company Intuit by Softrend, which carefully considers the needs of those using the space and the strict requirements for airport furnishings.

Work ‘in your own bubble’

NUUUORK operates on a simple principle. Anyone interested can reserve a place to work at NUUUORK, with the cost begin calculated on an hourly basis. The entire space has been purposely kept relatively compact, ensuring that even in the case of a ‘full house’ everyone there would feel cosy. Of course, high-speed wireless Internet is available across the entire space, and every workstation has plug-in and USB charging slots integrated into the furniture. There are a variety of workstations to choose from.

Intuit’s August armchairs offer the greatest privacy, being surrounded on three sides by acoustic fabric covered walls. The walls create a visual barrier, but also successfully muffle noise. It works both ways.

The walls keep people seated in August from hearing sounds coming from the outside, while at the same time they also muffle any sounds emanating from inside the armchair. This enables you to work silently while seated, and, if needed, make private phone calls without bothering others. All August armchairs have their own small movable auxiliary table, on which you can rest a cup of coffee or a laptop.

Work in a lounge atmosphere

NUUUORK is also designed for those individuals who prefer to work or relax in a spacious room. This is where the specially furnished lounge area comes in, offering a cosy living room vibe and a range of seating options.

Situated in the middle of the lounge is the Manhattan Hexa, a sofa made from Intuit’s pouffe modules. Each of its three sides can accommodate two people sitting side by side. The perfect place to hold discussions with a colleague. When working alone or resting, if there is free space, a bag can be placed on the seat next to you.

Along the walls there are comfortable Sans sofas, the cushions of which are more spacious than average. Next to each workstation are tables. Sans can also be used to create seating solutions for individuals and pairs.

Opposite the glass exterior wall of the lounge is a long table with bar stools, to which you can move, for example, to enjoy your lunch break. One part of NUUUORK is a snack bar, where you can pick up cold and warm drinks and a quick snack.

Berlin Airport recognised this and opened the innovative co-working space NUUUORK, which meets a wide range of needs.

Only in BER: soundproof studio

The number of airports where you can find decent co-working spaces continues to grow with each passing day. However, BER is the only one known to have a sound studio equipped with state-of-the-art technology, where you can record interviews and podcasts, as well as make live broadcasts. This opens new opportunities for influencers and even DJs with a mobile lifestyle; among other things, they can set up a DJ booth in the studio.

In addition, the studio also functions as a meeting room, which can accommodate up to eight people at a time. People in the lounge and concentration zone are spared from even the most heated of debates thanks to the soundproof walls. A large 65-inch screen and conference call technology allow colleagues and business partners located elsewhere to be included in the meeting.

The highest level of design

As already mentioned, the interior of NUUUORK mostly features Intuit by Softrend furniture made in Estonia. Since Intuit places great emphasis on acoustic furniture, this choice is not surprising. As a personal effort, the furniture manufacturer obtained the highest-level fire safety certificate for the furniture in order to meet the airport’s particularly stringent fire safety requirements.

However, at the heart of the project are the passengers passing through the airport and their comfort. You no longer have to drive to the city centre or look for a spare room in the nearest hotel to productively fill the long hours between flights. Berlin Airport now offers everyone the amenities they need to work remotely in one convenient location.

Photos by Ariane Brille.