Aldi Nord Headquarters by Baid Architekten in Essen

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Aldi can do architecture too: the company demonstrates this with its 100 000 m² office complex by Baid Architekten in the industrial area of Essen-Kray. Within just a few decades, the discounter has grown from a simple grocer into a billion-euro corporation known far and wide for its architecturally unimaginative supermarkets.

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With this new company HQ, Aldi Nord has now dared a jump into the 21st century without denying its roots. The new building replaces a large former warehouse; the old headquarters, which are currently undergoing renovation, stand right next door.

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Seldom has a building been so obviously designed to be viewed from overhead: the similarity in the floor plan to the corporate logo – a large, stylized A – is unmistakable. The inside of the Aldi Nord Campus is devoted primarily to open-space offices, co-working areas and communication hubs. Fewer than 50 single-occupant offices can be found among the approximately 1200 fixed workplaces.

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In their design, Baid have recreated the original terraced topography of the lot. They dug the excavation for the new building into the rise in the terrain, which measures around 10 m. The interior design follows the idea of open terraces. The heart of the complex is the central plaza, a glass-covered entrance hall that extends as high as five storeys. Communication hubs for spontaneous or planned meetings are arranged around this. An eight-storey office tower docks onto the plaza to form the central highlight of the campus.

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According to Aldi Nord, the corporate headquarters have been distinguished with DGNB certification in gold. Baid Architekten name the large PV system on the roof of the neighbouring parkade, the intensive rooftop greening of the buildings, the use of geothermal energy via heat pumps, a ventilation concept with heat pumps and the campus’ basic supply of heat and electricity via a cogeneration plant as significant sustainability factors.

© Marcus Bredt

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The architecture, even with its formalism in terms of the floor plan – gets points for flexibility as well. With almost no changes to the overall cubature, just by introducing open-plan office use inside the building, the number of working spaces has been increased from the 600 described in the 2016 competition to nearly twice that number.