Behind the Scenes of Our Campaign Shoot

For every campaign and lookbook shoot, we are committed to finding a location that we can instantly associate neubau with—a space that incorporates elements of urban design, architecture, light as well as a personalized look and feel. Design is central to what we do at neubau and we enjoy the task of location scouting, because our research is a reminder of what inspires us the most; spaces, places, designers and creators who inspire us to be thoughtful with our process of designing.

Although some argue that our cities are filled with hundreds and thousands of studios to meet the advertising and marketing demands of our oversaturated consumer market, there are some locations that represent something magical—perhaps because of their style or maybe because of their history. That is the case with the location of our last lookbook shoot: the iconic Pan Am Lounge in Berlin.

Pan American World Airways as you might remember, was the first flight to ever cross the pacific ocean and the first to offer passenger service to Europe—not a small feat by any measure. To achieve such success, the company hired the best pilots and eventually ended up constructing the Pan Am Lounge, a space for the flight crew to rest, unwind and recharge. Located at what is known today as the Europa Center, this West Berlin location is unlike any other in both its spatial configuration as well as it’s interior deck up.

Sitting at the top of the skyscraper on Budapester Strasse 43, the first element that catches the eye is the amount of natural light allowed in. Although the space has low ceilings, the angles at which the light penetrates is a show in itself, illuminating the more unexpected corners of the space. The space is divided into different nooks, each created to maximize comfort, encouraging one to sit back, relax and enjoy their time.

Every element of interior design has been perfectly preserved, from the ashtrays to the antenna radios. Filled with plush leather couches, long wooden coffee tables, artifacts including globes, maps and nautical art acts as a gentle reminder of the airlines once revolutionary vision of creating global connectivity. One of the smoking rooms is decorated to feel like an old hunting cabin complete with stuffed trophy heads of animals on the exposed brick walls. The large outdoor balcony that runs along the entire lounge gives access to some of the best views in all of Berlin, although at the time of construction (right after the war ended), it must have looked out at a city destroyed to the ground, with the exception of the Kaiser Wilhem cathedral.

Although the airline was forced into bankruptcy in 1991, the lounge remained thanks to the solemn efforts of Natascha Bonnerman, the current owner and managing director of the lounge. She worked earnestly to preserve the lounge, its history and its significance to the development of Berlin post war and during the crumbling of the infamous Berlin Wall.

Having been able to use this space to shoot our campaign was a real privilege—we felt instantly transported to another time and that feeling definitely manifested itself in the final images. Although playful, the contradiction of colors, patterns and textures added a layer of depth to the shoot that made it a pleasure to shoot. It’s always exciting to have another stroke of inspiration strike the creative team as they walk into a location.