BEHIND THE SCENE S
BEHIND THE SCENE S
Markus Temming has been following his passion for product design for some time now. And his talent is undeniable. With his eponymous eyewear label, markus t, he’s been supplying the global eyewear business with quality products Made in Germany since 1999. But until recently, his design pursuits beyond the world of eyewear have largely gone unnoticed. That is about to change, after the label recently moved into a new company headquarters – remodeled according to Markus’ vision – with a transparent concept inviting visitors to glimpse into the production process of markus t eyewear. spectr had the privilege to tour the new center of the markus t eyewear world – and came back quiet impressed. The former schnaps distillery outside the German town of Gütersloh has been restored with a love for detail and the overall vibe is more of a wellness getaway hosting yoga retreats than an eyewear manufacturing site in the traditional sense. Then again, “traditional” has never applied to Markus and his approach...
TALKING DESIGN ON THE META-LEVEL Inside markus t´s transparent workshop photos STEFAN DONGUS
All designs are created in-house: Eyewear, lighting fixtures, and the “longest desk in Europe”.
Two years ago, Markus purchased the sprawling grounds for his new
also adding new machinery.
headquarters – listed as a monument conservation site – and poured
But beyond process optimization, the standout feature of the new
Much like in his eyewear designs, Markus placed special emphasis
parent – via glass walls. Markus calls this a “transparent workshop”
in the use of materials during the renovation. After all, the new offices
and invites all opticians to come visit the new site to get a glimpse into
lots of creative energy into the renovation and re-model. Aside from his
company headquarters is the underlying design language apparent in all
are a true reflection of the brand’s philosophy. Materials are high-grade,
the “on demand” production of markus t eyewear. During the move,
love for historic buildings, Markus also made the decision for economic
parts of the operation – from the CEO’s office into sales and production.
lightweight, and all the while robust. All cabinets and desks throughout
the company also got rid of its warehouse. From now on, all frames are
reasons. His label markus t has seen rapid growth, to a staff of current-
Every department is furnished with the same cabinets, the same desks,
the entire building are crafted from sheets of CDF, while the lighting
produced in weekly runs based on orders.
ly 80 employees, which necessitated constant office expansions over
and the same lighting fixtures. In other words, there’s no hierarchical
fixtures – assembled from screw-less components like the brand’s eye-
The resulting overall atmosphere is that of a showroom, but in this
the years. The operating phrase here is “necessity,” because resulting
privilege when it comes to furniture at markus t, and all interior designs
wear frames – appear to levitate above the work stations. On that note,
case not only showcasing the final product, but also every single meti-
workflows and internal structures often left much to be desired. “At
were created in-house. As a side project beyond their day-to-day work,
the entire workspace is furnished entirely without the use of veneers,
culous step that goes into its creation. In the bigger picture, the former
some point we were just in way too tight quarters,” said Markus.
Markus and his employees went the extra mile to create a progressive
solely from raw materials. Adding the final touches to the interior de-
distillery is also a showcase for the brand’s own blend of designer
Moving into the new site provided a clean slate; a chance to plan work
and fully decked-out workspace that is a true standout in the optical
sign are exposed brick walls, light concrete floors and large-sized glass
furnishings, which will also be made available commercially sometime
processes in administration and manufacturing from scratch, while
industry.
panels. Every single office and production space is exposed – made trans-
soon. Let’s take a look around...
184
185