Julia Ecker + Nina Steiner

Rotis was where Otl Aicher lived and worked in the Allgau. This is where he sought to realise his very own ideal of a communal, free, self-determined existence. His aim was to create a place of togetherness. But bringing this about was fraught with contradictions. Aicher’s desire for non-hierarchical forms of teamwork was at odds with his compulsive tendency to keep tabs on his staff.

His strident views and rigid rules made dealings with him awkward at times. We have rethought Aicher’s ideal location in our “Rotis 2.0” project and adapted it to the present. Any of Aicher’s principles we regard as being of abiding relevance have been incorporated.

The conditions of “new work” and the requirements of the modern age play a central role in the redesign. The opportunities afforded by digitisation and remote working need to be harnessed to transforming today’s workplaces into sites of social interaction, communication and exchange.