Revitalized work

Core stock

The core of the new Mühlenviertel or the former “Bezner-Areal” in the south-east of Ravensburg is the old factory building. Surrounded by a now revitalised quarter, it stands in the middle of a stylistically fascinating melange of old building and new interpretation, connected to a small square, from which it benefits in terms of its external effect, but also in terms of optimal illumination. And especially its northern, the square façade, is still the original side of the building.

History

Over the course of many decades, the history of the engineering factory had also led to partial demolitions and additions to the production hall built in 1901. The north façade made of stamped concrete and clinker brick as well as the historic glazing were preserved. The other, newly constructed sides of the building follow their respective original form in an abstracted manner through horizontal exposed concrete strips and frameless glazing. The further construction, which is both tradition-conscious and formally innovative, creates the current attractiveness of the building in a clever combination of architectural historical sensitivity, contemporary sustainability and architectural creativity.

Sacred character

The original interior was preserved along with its carefully restored wooden construction. It offers 353 square metres of usable office space and, with its two-storey central nave and side galleries, conveys an almost sacred character despite its original industrial use. This is not only due to the unusual two-storey nature of the “galleries”, in which the work tables arranged one behind the other line up almost like a manufactory, but also to the homogeneous aesthetics. It ranges from the minimalist exterior walls to the purist details of the interior.

Usability

Two room-high exposed concrete structures set into the old factory hall appear quite effectively as witnesses of the present day and contain infrastructural elements such as access, ancillary rooms, technology, etc. In the day-to-day office life, the central hall is used as a central office space. In everyday office life, the central hall and its lower side areas are used for reception, everyday communication and meetings, as a showroom or for events. The stationary workplaces and conference areas are located on the galleries – positioned between the harmonious flair of the historic and the view out into the 21st century.

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

Martin Bächle, bächlemeid architekten: The prerequisite of being able to work quietly and in a concentrated manner in an outstanding architectural space, while at the same time being able to perceive opportunities for internal and external communication and defining circulation areas as meeting spaces.

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

There will be less of the classic office building. A new spatial programme for flexible working and living/working in a spatially private and shared context will bring new building concepts in urban development and a new quality of land development.

Which functional aspects are decisive for you in the future development of Workspaces?

Autonomous, communicative work at paperless, spatially flexible workplaces with electronic meetings has already been defined. Here it will be important to prevent isolation at the workplace and to enable a mixture between concentration and actual, haptic communication. The quality of the space, feeling good, sitting well, standing well must be followed by new standards.