Competition high-rise building for a company headquarters

A new district centre for Freiham is being built on the western outskirts of Munich along Bodenseestraße, in the immediate vicinity of Mahatma-Gandhi-Platz. The construction of a new company headquarters will complete the urbanistically planned ensemble of 3 high points.

The visitor is immersed in the company as soon as he arrives, the foyer connects important premises for the family business. Company history, technical progress, customer journey and company catering are experienced and developed through this hall. The generous air space visually connects the foyer with the central conference and training area, thus offering further diverse views within the building. This gesture and the open façade design make parts of the technical centre and the exhibition area already tangible from the outside. With its vertical zoning and designed office world, the building can be flexibly used and rented out. The two uppermost floors of the tower represent a further special feature. Here, the arrangement of executive offices, communication hub and break-out zones, with the special view towards the foothills of the Alps, is intended to promote and strengthen communication between employees and the executive board.

The designed green zones and open areas are distributed over several levels in and around the building. The entrance to the new urban quarter is set in scene via a light-flooded and greened ramp situation. The perimeter block development creates a quiet, spacious inner courtyard, which with its organically shaped plant beds creates islands of nature in the urban context. The reference to nature through the various green zones, with their different qualities, atmospheres and views, is intended to promote creativity and well-being, create clarity and have a positive influence on the health, physical and mental condition of the employees.

The shape of the building is characterised by curtain-type precast concrete elements on different levels. The urbanistically contrasting high point is vertically emphasised and summarised by the continuation of the arcades at the façade level. The block development with its higher, closed part stands out from the high point in terms of design. Cornice bands running through the building in parts unite the ensemble as one overall structure. The basic design idea of the open and communicative use of the two top floors of the tower is already visible from the outside as a special place. The hitherto classic element façade jumps back and sets itself apart from the lower floors with rounded corners. Sun and glare protection is provided by motor-controlled, printed glass louvres. The expression of the building thus changes depending on the weather.

When selecting the materials, both the value of the overall structure and the durability of the urban building block were of prime importance. The white coloured precast concrete elements are complemented and protected by warm metal surfaces in the area of the cornices and attics. The complexity of the different facade levels can be prefabricated with simple elements.