The new campus of EDEKA Minden-Hannover consists of five four-story buildings with square floor plans, all connected by a central hall. A total of 22,000 square meters of office space accommodates 2,000 employees with 1,600 permanent workstations. Given the clear design ambition to create a pleasant working environment, one might almost adapt the company’s well-known slogan to: “We love living spaces.” Because despite the efficient and ergonomic organization of office functions, the architecture offers more than just an optimized shell for work processes. The integration of nature is a key element of the design — realized through plant arrangements in the interiors, green courtyards, and carefully orchestrated visual connections. In addition, the outdoor areas have been thoughtfully landscaped, incorporating walking paths and orchards to provide opportunities for relaxation and movement. Central to this concept is the striking interior design of the large hall, which serves as both a distribution and reception space for the campus, while also functioning as a transitional zone that many users pass through several times a day. It houses a large staff restaurant with 540 seats, as well as the “Börsensaal,” a publicly accessible presentation and event space for up to 300 people. Distinctive features of this central space include loggias, galleries, and diagonally arranged bridges, which guide movement efficiently, enable quick connections between teams and departments, and, above all, offer appealing views into the large, top-lit hall. It is a communication zone par excellence. This is further supported by the open-office areas on the upper floors, which encourage flexible and spontaneous interaction — naturally complemented by traditional offices, meeting rooms, training areas, retreat spaces, and tea kitchens, which, on an EDEKA campus, are of course exceptionally well equipped.
