Dominik Dreiner: Südwestmetall Heilbronn - best architects 07

Dominik Dreiner

Südwestmetall Heilbronn

best architects 07

office/administrative buildings

Place

Heilbronn

Description

Set in a park-like landscape, the administrative headquarters of the german Südwestmetall federation in Heilbronn is in the form of a single-storey pavillon 76 m long and 18,5 m wide. The clear, unadorned volume of the building is framed by the broadly projecting floor and roof pianes. The two ends of the structure and the roof are clad entirely in an stainless steel lattice mesh. The glazed long faces of the cube betwenn the raised ground floor and the roof reveal a similar clarity. The windows and their frames are set in a single, flush plane. The casements are opened simply by drawing in the relevant sections and sliding them aside. Internally, the daylight that enters is refracted by four light-coloured cubes that house the kitchen, the sanitary cells and ancillary spaces. In conjunction with the materials used – exposed concrete, glass, stainless steel and sisal – the grey and white coloration lends the internal space a simple elegance. A foyer space located three-quarters of the way along the facade gives access to a seminar room seating up to 100 to one side and the office space for 15 staff, together with a library to the other. Interior spaces are finished in light colours – mostly white and greys – helping to reduce the lighting load to a minimum.