Administration Building for an Energy Concern in Stuttgart

This extension complements an existing building dating from the 1970s to form a closed block development with two courtyards. In contrast to the earlier scheme with its all-glass mirror façade, the new tract is an urbane, closed brick volume. The horizontal “box” window strips, however, take up the layered planes of the existing façade. Beech-veneered furnishings, fittings and doors lend a warm note to the neutral coloration internally. Cooling-soffit elements are set off from the dark-grey concrete ceiling and function as reflecting areas for the indirect lighting. The box windows allow natural ventilation and provide sound insulation even when open. The tight fit of the glass louvres when closed obviates the need for radiators beneath the windows, thereby freeing this space for storage compartments with integrated electrical installations. By deepening the door recesses, it was possible to restrict the corridors to an economic width of 1.72 m and at the same time to create space for pull-out document storage units in the offices. The doorways also form small communication areas. In the corridors, the suspended ceilings are set back from the walls and the peripheral slits are illuminated, suggesting a greater sense of height. Built in yellow engineering bricks, the corridor walls take up the material of the façades and communal spaces, which are in black and red bricks respectively. This form of construction implied a loss of flexibility, but enabled costs to be cut and created additional thermal storage mass.