C + P SmartLockers help create the office of the future
A space designed with well-being in mind. This is the first thing that occurs to you when you enter the “New World of Work” at the savings bank (Sparkasse) in Munich. The vision for the workplace of the future was realized in a 750 square meter pilot area in the office tower pavilion. An essential component of this futuristic office setting: C + P SmartLockers.
How it all began: In order to utilize the extensive office space on Ungererstrasse more effectively, the savings bank’s executive board launched the “New Worlds of Work” project two years ago. The aim was and still is to create modern workplaces that meet today’s needs.
“The territorial notion of ‘my office, my desk’ has changed,” explains Florian Seidl, who, as deputy project manager, put his heart and soul into developing the project together with architect Moritz Segers. Seidl: “The new working structures are less centered on strict hierarchies and more focused on enabling project and teamwork. So they require a high degree of flexibility. When we began, no one could anticipate how many barriers COVID-19 would tear down when it came to accelerating this process of change.
“I underestimated the SmartLockers at first. Now I’m amazed at all they can do.”
Moritz Seger
SmartLockers are the first point of contact for staff every morning and the last every evening. They can store their personal belongings along with their keyboard, headset, mouse and laptop when they leave their workstation. This makes it easy for them to switch between working from home and in the office, as well as working at different locations within the new office world.
The C + P lockers have surprised many Sparkasse employees with their versatility. In-house architect Segers candidly admits: “I underestimated the SmartLockers at first. Now I’m amazed at all they can do.” The app in particular, which can be used alongside the employee card and PIN to open the lockers, initially seemed like more of a gimmick to him. However, it has proven itself to be extremely useful in day-to-day work. “Recently one of my colleagues was able to open her locker for me remotely while she was at the beach. There are so many things we wouldn’t be able to do today without the app,” Segers sums up.
They’re a stylish addition to the entrance area’s beautifully crafted ambiance.
After C + P had already delivered new lockers for the fitness changing cubicles to the Munich Sparkasse last year, the order for 80 C + P SmartLockers for the “New Working World” followed early this year, reports C + P Sales Manager André Reis.
48 large and 32 smaller compartments were supplied for the groundbreaking project and set up in the pilot area. By late May 2022, it was time for the first 55 employees to move into the new space. There are also eight temporary workstations for employees from other departments.
Since then, these SmartLockers featuring so many variable operating options have proven to be the perfect addition to the office world of the future. “The strengths of the SmartLockers lie primarily in the ability to control them in a decentralized way and the tremendous amount of flexibility they offer us,” stresses Project Manager Moritz Segers. “Every need can be addressed the moment it comes up.”
But the SmartLockers offer more than just superior functionality; they also impress employees and visitors alike with their sleek, elegant design. The Sparkasse’s own carpenters built beautiful wooden frames to house the SmartLockers.
Say goodbye to long, white hallways with uniform individual offices and floor-to-ceiling cabinets.
Instead, a new board in the entrance area offers an overview of the freely selectable and available workstations within the entire space. Individual, soundproofed boxes have been set up between the workstations where conversations, whether face-to-face or virtual, can be held without any disruptions. Soft upholstered furniture is also available for those who just want to enjoy a quick chat with a colleague. And instead of glaring neon light, softly tinted lamps hang above the tables in the Work Café.
There are also special focus workstations that are framed with acoustic panels on three sides to enable deep work in the open area of the office. The sound insulation is enhanced by a high-pile carpet. This ensures that the entire room remains pleasantly quiet, even when colleagues use their cabinets or lockers... since they open and close with a soft click.
Plenty of potential to discover!
Florian Seidl agrees that the possibilities offered by the C + P lockers are far from exhausted: “We haven’t had time to explore everything in depth yet. There’s still plenty of potential to discover.”
In the next step, the Sparkasse will convert 80 mailboxes to the digital C + P locker system, and 80 new compartments will also be delivered in the fall. The Munich Sparkasse is still in the process of remodeling its office spaces. In this sense as well, there’s still plenty of potential to discover!
