From Fashion Department Store to an Office Complex

The documenta 16 team is moving its office workspaces into previously vacant retail spaces in downtown Kassel. The former “Sinn Leffers” fashion department store had stood vacant since 2023—a little over three years later, spacious workspaces have been created on the second floor that promote openness, communication, and collaboration.

The transformation from department store to office space began with a comprehensive structural renovation. Measures for soundproofing and fire safety, along with the addition of new walls and window areas, have created functional workspaces, meeting rooms, and quiet zones. The space now accommodates up to 100 employees. The layout concept relies on a combination of fixed and flexible workstations to meet the diverse needs of the teams. For an organization like documenta and Museum Fridericianum gGmbH, this flexibility is particularly important, as work processes, project structures, and team sizes change continuously throughout the exhibition cycles.

The former Sinn-Leffers fashion department store is pictured; Thomas Schüte's sculpture group “Die Fremden” can be seen on the roof of the portico, and in the foreground, two people are walking past the building
Outdoor artwork by Thomas Schütte, “Die Fremden” (1992), for documenta 9 (1992) © documenta archive / Photo: Thomas Bruns / Thomas Schütte / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026