Raphael Gielgen: The Art of constantly reinventing the personal future

Work, as we know it, is changing. The jobs we hold, the spaces we occupy, and the workflows we use have cracked under the pressure of disruptors – especially technology and its far-reaching ripple effects. Organizations do not have to adapt to a new reality, but adaption is the new reality.

We are constantly making adjustments to accommodate the challenges presented, yet whether these attempts are built to last or leave us vulnerable is difficult to say. The new tools, methods, policies, and ideas we are adopting today may not be of much use tomorrow. It is no longer about when, or will, but how to properly approach this unchartered territory and establish solid foundations to work off of and build upon.

Raphael Gielgen has spent most of his professional life working on making the office environment a better place. His curiosity for architecture, technology and social change in the context of working environments is his fuel – always connected to the question of how the global working world is changing and what impact it has on existing business models. Always on a journey to discover how tomorrow’s work place will look, he regularly meets business leaders, architects and designers, a community who can put this knowledge to the service of the society. His work informs Vitra´s approach to improving the quality of offices and public spaces through the power of design by serving the varied Vitra team with the results of his observations and cognitions by trend clusters, market analysis and business cases.

Video documentary:

ZKM | Videostudio

Camera: Benedict Meyer, Frenz Jordt
Editing: Bastian Buchgraber