HORT (nursery/crèche). At first sight these four letters conjure up associations with childhood. In the case of Eike König, however, they stand for something quite different which ultimately isn’t that different at all. König’s personal HORT is a graphic design agency that is somewhat special. Its name is program.

The creative center is actually not that different from a children’s nursery and you will notice that when you visit König, the kind founder of HORT, at his welcoming workplace. “Eike’s Hort” is a public space of possibilities, a seemingly lost playground for adults, “a shelter for designers,” as the founder himself likes to call it. You won’t find any pressure to perform in here. The overwhelming results seem to confirm König’s unconventional work philosophy which is “more space creates more ideas.” In fact, it sounds quite logical. And even more importantly: it works. This is due to its very simple principles: honesty and humanity. And in this little office somewhere in one of Kreuzberg’s backyards offering plenty of free space these principles couldn’t possibly be more effective.