Through the Looking Glass

IN BERLIN, interior design studio Gonzalez Haase

AAS has turned out a dramatic office for content marketing agency

Fischerappelt that puts an emphasis on theatrics. The four-level office is filled with colour blocking, with some rooms all white, while others are soaked in black or shades of green. What unites them is the repeated use of mirrors as walls and dividers, with the biggest wow factor being the fourth floor, where a transitional space between work stations is a virtual funhouse of red-hued reflections. Designed by local architect Judith Haase and her partner, scenographer Pierre

Jorge Gonzalez, the zone’s multiple mirrored walls and ceiling provide a compelling illusion of depth with double and triple takes that reflect rooms-within-rooms ad infinitum. Not surprisingly, the designers say they were channeling their love for Alice in Wonderland. Custom lighting tubes are installed at the point where wall and ceiling touch; the illuminated stripes read as a singular rod, and pull the eye in every direction. Along one wall, red club chairs by Haase and Gonzalez are pushed to the wall to reflect their double, and a wall of staggered, crimson-tinted mirrors further disrupts the sense of placement. Adding yet another layer of interest, one wall is aluminumframed corkboard fronted with grey-tinted glass, which shows off the texture of the natural material. At the back, watery-blue velvet drapes provide privacy to a meeting room. While Haase admits translating the dreamland of Wonderland into an architectural language was a challenge, she and Gonzalez did manage to deliver a narrative of fun and curiosity to an everyday workspace. K.J. gonzalezhaase.com