Topotek1 chose a holistic approach when developing the outside area of the DKV Insurance Company building in Berlin. The seven-storey building, designed by Alsop & Störmer, rises above a two-level underground garage which in turn extends under the courtyard. The courtyard is foremost an exemplary, multi-use urban space, stunningly characterized by the coloured façades and ground surfaces. The asphalt covering of the yard is regarded as being nothing less than an essential representative layer connecting the surrounding buildings like an urban membrane. At the centre of the concept was the idea to enhance the interaction between horizontal and vertical surfaces, different angles and broken lines. To make the metamorphic game between the surface and various depths more evident, the painting even extends into the underground garage. Conventional materials, forms and colours of traffic signage were transferred into a new context where they form an abstract world of information which reflects the representative functions of the building and creates a reticulated interaction with its urban landscape.