Details
Ready for the "New Normal". Designed during the height of the pandemic, the new Cracow headquarters for Ringier Axel Springer Polska (RASP) is a strategic response to the challenges of hybrid work. Moving from a scattered, six-story arrangement to a single, horizontal floor, we created a "wild-card office" — a space that is not only agile and reconfigurable but specifically designed to rebuild the sense of community that was strained by remote work. It is a diverse ecosystem that balances the need for deep focus with the joy of spontaneous interaction.
4330
Square meters of area
500
Employees
8
Months of work
1
Brooklyn 3.0
The aesthetic of the Cracow office tips its hat to the client’s Warsaw headquarters ("Digital Brooklyn") but evolves the narrative. We retained the industrial, technological character but significantly "warmed it up" to create a more welcoming, home-like atmosphere. The design is a hybrid: mixing the raw energy of the media industry with softer, cafeteria-like interiors.
Designing for neurodiversity
Recognising that the "new normal" requires inclusivity, we placed a strong emphasis on neurodiversity. The office offers a spectrum of sensory environments: some meeting rooms are stimulating and energetic, while others are neutral and subdued. Interaction areas are colourful and stylistically sophisticated, whereas focused work zones use calmer tones to reduce cognitive load.
2
Research-Led design
The project was driven by a fundamental question: "What is the office for in the new normal?" Relying on data from our survey with Leesman of 144,000 respondents from 103 countries, we determined that the future office must serve two opposing needs: deep focus and strong community building. The previous office, scattered across six floors, hindered communication. The solution was a move to a horizontal layout where all 500 employees — from IT support to editorial — reside on a single floor, forcing natural interaction.
The Social Heart
The office is organised around a clearly defined "heart"—a central hub designed to be the engine of company integration. This zone combines the visitor area, large kitchens, and spacious breakout rooms into one fluid space. It is designed for maximum flexibility: using mobile walls, the area can instantly merge with the reception to transform into a town-hall venue for major company events. This centralized hub ensures that social life and knowledge exchange happen naturally, rather than in isolation.
Specialized zones
The workspace is zoned to support specific media activities. It features a professional podcast room for online interviews, soundproof booths for 1:1 calls, and a game room and gym to encourage wellbeing.
Acoustic privacy for hybrid work
To bridge the gap between on-site and remote teams, we integrated soundproof booths throughout the open plan. These acoustic pods provide immediate privacy for video calls or focused tasks without occupying larger meeting rooms. Available in both standing and seated configurations, they ensure that the buzzing energy of the office doesn't interfere with the clarity of communication required for seamless hybrid collaboration.
Predicting the unpredictable
To future-proof the space, we developed the concept of a "wild-card office." The infrastructure is designed for rapid change; walls and furniture can be assembled or disassembled over a weekend. Meeting rooms convert into individual workspaces, and the layout can evolve as the hybrid work model matures. This ensures the office remains functional regardless of future changes in working styles.
The layout also handles security strictly; the visitor zone is clearly separated from the operational back-office by access control, ensuring data security without sacrificing the openness of the social "heart" of the office.
3
Zero waste approach
The project is located in V. Offices, a BREEAM-certified building, and our interior design had to match those high ecological standards. We prioritised sustainable materials, such as wood wool ceilings and non-bituminous carpeting.
Crucially, we implemented a rigorous Zero Waste policy. Instead of buying everything new, we audited the previous office and successfully reused most of the acoustic panels, desks, and chairs. This not only optimised the budget but significantly reduced the carbon footprint of the relocation, proving that a modern office update doesn't require sending tons of furniture to the landfill.
4
The social glue
The new office has successfully met the challenge of the hybrid era: making the commute worth it. Edyta Serafin, Head of Backoffice at RASP, notes that the greatest benefit is simply "being together." The design has successfully replaced the isolation of remote work (and the previous multi-floor setup) with a natural flow of people, where problem-solving and bonding happen spontaneously over coffee, rather than just in scheduled meetings.
Scope
Design
Team
Board
Bogusz Parzyszek
CEO I Founder
Dominika Zielińska
Former Managing Partner, Workplace
Design
Paweł Kołodziej
COO & PM
Rafał Mikulski
Senior Architect
Maciej Kolak
Senior Architect
Michał Pyka
Architect
Paweł Deroń
3D Artist & Visualisation
Client
RASP
Ringier Axel Springer Polska
Suppliers & partners
Adam Grzesik
Photos
