The design aims to create a building with attractive office and retail space that stands out in terms of both structure and appearance in the square between Sonnenstraße and Herzog-Wilhelmstraße. The defining features of the architecture are transparency, structural clarity, a distinctive position within the urban context and a symbiotic relationship between the office units and the open space. We have developed varying designs for the final development, which are currently under consideration by the planning authorities. It has not yet been decided which design will ultimately be built.

The design envisions a C-shaped building that encircles a large interior courtyard. It attaches directly to existing structures, rising from one to four, seven or nine floors respectively – adapted to the height of the adjacent buildings. The result is a building that fits seamlessly into its city square. In the first version created for the joint planning workshop, the complex features an additional two-story superstructure facing Sonnenstraße, while the second version omits it. Which draft will be realized is not decided yet. The façade is defined by a series of alternating round and square columns; the former reminiscent of ancient colonnades and the latter made of concrete blocks. The outer shell is made of folding glass doors that can be used for ventilation, transforming the main façade into a perpetually evolving image as these “wings” open and close to varying degrees. This multi-layered effect is further underscored in the materials used: brass-colored metal slats in the interior shell contrast with the light grey concrete of the outer shell. This brass material features even more prominently in the recessed superstructure of the first design version and in the façade facing the courtyard.