Hippmann Architekten

Description

In the so-called Schlachtof am Gaskessel quarter of Stuttgart a new corporate headquarter for an online wine company has been built along one of the radial access roads that are so typical of large cities. The typical periphery of a large city is reflected in the varying shapes and sizes of the surrounding commercial buildings, car dealerships, power stations and light rail tracks – a thoroughly unattractive space. The challenge was to offer something different, but still formulate a clear acknowledgement of the existing surroundings. Our response to this environment consisted in providing calm and clarity and reducing the building to the essential. The clear, cubist shape of the building with square window openings that were deliberately developed from the inside out, intentionally results in an appearance that is out of kilter. The purposeful positioning of openings in the interior creates sightlines between the rooms. This allows visitors to catch glimpses of offices, warehousing and the packing station. The windows that are arranged squarely in the façade frame the surrounding environment like postcard motifs. Materials, colours, openings and structural elements were kept to a minimum in order to focus attention as far as possible on the product – wine – and the company. Built from prefabricated concrete sections using the sandwich construction method, the building was able to create a clear, new identity for the company and at the same time redefine the location.