Office E in Berlin by Maria Murawsky is Luxury Personified.

Polish architect Maria Murawsky brought a touch of the contemporary to the historical building set on one of Berlin’s most prestigious avenues. Office E sees modern finishes and an enviable collection of furniture classics and lighting pieces paired with elaborate fresco-covered ceilings for a rather sharp looking workplace.

Spaces unfold with a sense of opulence not often associated with offices, with accents of marble, leather, timber and glass found throughout. In the waiting area, Pierre Jeanneret armchairs from Cassina sit alongside a custom marble and brass coffee table, and a softly curving couch. A true 20th-century design icon – Jorge Zalszupin’s JZ tea trolley, designed in the 1950s and reissued by Brazilian company Etel – completes the striking setting. Elsewhere, design classics like the Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chairs, USM modular furniture cabinets and lighting from Serge Mouille sit alongside younger brands including Roll&Hill and Allied Maker from NYC.

“From the beginning, there were few bullet points which I had to keep in mind – like plasters on the walls and ceilings, frescoes on the ceilings,” says Murawsky. “The team working in this office is young so I wanted to loosen up this classical and historical atmosphere by giving it a modern twist with contemporary furniture, concrete walls, modern minimal shapes of fireplace, bar and bibliotheque.”

The 300 square metre interior on Kurfurstendamm street strikes a delicate balance between workspaces and what the architect refers to as ‘living spaces’. Murawsky placed the same amount of focus on areas for refuge and relaxation, as on those designed for conventional productivity.

The colour scheme is restrained and simple, delivering a series of highly sophisticated rooms. Vast ceiling heights, coupled with existing ornate detailing present in every room combine to generate the feeling of opulence. Elsewhere, materials have been restricted to oak, marble, brass, and grey tones – a highly edited palette that’s equally elegant and inviting.

Calacatta marble frames all of the fireplaces, mirroring the sense of luxury threaded throughout the workspace as a nod to the elaborate classical detailing found on walls and ceilings. Murawsky’s commitment to extravagant detailing also continues within the bathrooms. Carved from marble, washbasin vanities from Salvatori stand as dominant figures in this space. Paired with brass tap fixtures and backlit oval mirrors, the elements combine for an irresistibly lavish space that doesn’t come second to the rest of the office.

Maria Murawsky’s scheme for Office E stands as a fusion of classical and modern design, creating a workspace enviable to all.

[Images courtesy of Maria Murawsky. Photography by Tom Kurek.]