Berker R.1 & Manufaktur by Hager

At Matter we look every day for solutions that make it easier to realise innovative, original projects, and some products achieve this through their versatility and capacity for customisation. One of them is the Berker R.1 series from Hager Group: a switch with clean, timeless lines whose frames are made in materials such as concrete, leather, wood, slate or acrylic. The switch thus stops being a technical element and becomes a warm, tactile piece that matches the project's materials.

In this article we look at the design of the series, the materials and dimensions of its frames, the functions it covers and Manufaktur, Hager's service for making switches and sockets to order. We close with some key points for specifying it and the most frequently asked questions.

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Berker R.1: the round switch, reinterpreted

A circle within a soft-cornered square.

Berker R.1 combines round central pieces with a frame of soft contours and rounded corners, giving it a look that is at once classic and contemporary. It was designed by Studio Aisslinger (Werner Aisslinger and Nicole Losos) for Berker, Hager Group's switch brand, and received the Red Dot Design Award in 2013. The jury highlighted that its classic form and quality allow it to fit into any setting.

Hager presents it as a series for practically any architectural concept. Its aesthetic is clean, with a geometry of gentle contours, and the variety of frame colours and materials allows it to be combined according to the space and context of each project, from a home to a hotel.

Frame materials and dimensions

The frame is what defines the character of each point. According to Hager's 2021 technical data sheet, the series offers nine materials; slate and concrete are limited to frames of up to three gangs, while the rest go up to five, always for horizontal or vertical mounting.

For the material frames, Hager pairs each finish with inserts in polar white or black: its catalogue shows, for example, concrete / polar white and wood / black versions. Rockers and cover plates are in polar white (≈ RAL 9010) or black (≈ RAL 9005) plastic; the technical data sheet also lists red (≈ RAL 3003) and orange (≈ RAL 2003).

Functions and technical data

Berker R.1 is a complete series: the same design is applied to switches, sockets and controls throughout the home. Hager organises its devices according to a modular concept of three references per point (insert, rocker or cover plate, and frame), so the same base accepts different finishes. In its catalogue, the series includes:

• Lighting: switches and push-buttons, rockers with illuminated indicators, dimmers and motion detectors.
• Blinds and climate: double rockers for blinds, thermostats and controls for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
• Sockets: Schuko socket, TV aerial socket and double telephone socket, among other communication outlets.
• Specific applications: solutions for hotels and for barrier-free use.
• KNX: Berker's KNX touch sensor follows the line of the R series, with a black or polar white glass surface.

According to the technical data sheet, the devices operate at 250 V AC and 10 A / 10 AX, with IP20 protection and screw or quick-connect terminals. The Schuko sockets are 16 A, two-pole with earth and with child protection; they are rated IP20 and can reach IP44 with the addition of the sealing kit. The data sheet also lists AENOR certification to UNE 20315-1-1 and UNE 20315-1-2.

Manufaktur: the made-to-order switch

When the catalogue is not enough, Hager makes the piece.

Hager also offers a personal planning and advisory service called Manufaktur, which allows this series and the other devices in its catalogue to be configured with a high degree of customisation: colours and materials, shapes, functions and rockers. According to Hager, all its products can be printed or made in high-end materials and given specific treatments, such as switches in genuine leather, in stone or inlaid with Swarovski crystals.

The advantage for the project is a single point of contact: Hager handles the advice, planning and execution, and makes both one-off pieces and modified series, with handwork and quality controls. The service is not limited to switches and sockets: it also adapts other products, such as wall trunking, in shape, size and colour.

Hager shows the scope of the service with several finishes from the Manufaktur edition:

• Berker R.1 in brushed copper: with a special coating that prevents oxidation.
• Berker Serie 1930 in matte black: with a velvety soft-touch coating.
• Berker K.5 in brushed brass.
• Berker R.3 in matte black chrome stainless steel: with a handmade matte finish.

An example: Miriam Alía's switches

Hager cites as an example of customisation the switches that the interior designer Miriam Alía designed for Hager's space at Casa Decor 2018. They were made in the materials she chose, such as brass and perforated sheet metal, with a two-tone colour combination for the rockers, in both the single and the double version.

Key points for specifying Berker R.1

These are the points worth resolving at design stage:

• Frame by material and number of points: slate and concrete only go up to three gangs; if a point groups four or five devices, another material must be chosen.
• Coordination with the project: the frame can follow the wood, stone or leather of the interior, and the polar white or black base determines whether the device blends in or contrasts.
• Three references per point: insert, rocker or cover plate, and frame are specified separately; Hager's device configurator helps to put together each finish.
• Wet areas: the Schuko sockets only reach IP44 with the sealing kit; the other devices are IP20.
• Customisation: if the project needs another material, colour or engraving, it is best to raise it early with Manufaktur, as it involves special manufacture.

Berker and Hager Group

Berker is a German manufacturer from Schalksmühle that has been producing electrical equipment since 1919 and has been part of Hager Group since 2010. Hager was founded in 1955 in Ensheim (Germany) as a family business and, according to the company itself, is among the leading suppliers of solutions and services for electrical installations in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors, from power distribution and protection to switch and socket series and KNX systems.

Update note (2026): Hager's German website states that Berker is being integrated into the Hager brand and that the R.x series, including Berker R.1, will remain available until the end of 2028, with spare parts also available after that date.

A switch is best understood in the hand: the feel of the leather, the weight of the concrete or the edge of the acrylic. You can discover Hager's solutions at Matter.