Exposed concrete with skydeck

The architects themselves point out the analogy: Even if you only look at the design for a moment, you will discover familiar motifs from architectural history – inspired by the master architect of the 20th century – Le Corbusier.

That must arouse interest. Located in the northeast of Munich, the 16,000-square-meter building contains ample space for offices and commercial operations. Brandlhuber+ and Muck Petzet designed it – as they call it themselves – as a “blank.” This means that the six floors of the reinforced concrete structure, organized in a column grid, can be freely configured by the users. Obvious features include a central corridor as an access point and workstations lined up along the sides, which benefit from daylight and a view from the floor-to-ceiling glazing. The large form of the narrow block, whose front faces southwest, is triple-sloped on a longitudinal rectangular plan. In this way, the plan reacts to the course of the streets and creates an exciting exterior. Several cascading staircases in front of the building characterize the front.

Building benefits

The building benefits above all from its lower and upper sides: as with Le Corbusier’s large-scale buildings, tenants and guests have a parking facility at street level under the building and are allowed to make extensive use of the roof terrace, including the open staircase, for recreation and leisure: Here, for example, there is space for a Reflecting Pool and a Community Garden on 2,000 square meters.

Below is the conference room with a panoramic view, while the floors in between offer sufficient space for individually designed office worlds and commercial floors. Internal access is provided by three double elevators, which, like the technical and restroom cores, support both an overall use of the floor and a division into individual rental units. The planning integrated a sustainable supply. For this purpose, 85° C thermal water, pumped from a depth of 2,700 meters, provides energy; in summer, cooling is provided by local groundwater.

What do you consider to be the fundamental qualities of a good workplace?

Stefan Höglmaier: A place that creates communication, forms identification and offers space for concentration.

Do you see any comparability in room design for living and for working?

Working time means living time. Accordingly, a workplace must be a place of well-being.

What material-related aspects do you consider to be the decisive ones in the future development of workspaces?

Durability and sustainability are essential properties. Aesthetics and functionality also go hand in hand with this.