The volumetric structure of this office and production building in the north of Munich is dominated by a three-dimensional geometric folding of Hemmerlein's precast concrete elements.
The architect opted for a reduced and at the same time characterful appearance of the three-storey building. He and the engineers involved developed diagonally bent concrete elements which, put together like a puzzle, create a three-dimensional façade image and take away the heaviness of the dark building. Thanks to a sophisticated assembly plan, namely the staggered arrangement of the slabs on each floor, only four formwork variants were necessary – two for the longitudinal and two for the front sides of the rectangular structure. In terms of width and depth, the elements are built on variables of the number 16. Alternating wide and narrow stripes can be seen on the outer shell.
The unusual folding of the façade also includes the corners of the building and is further emphasised by clearly recognisable, dark joints that zigzag vertically. The panels, which weigh up to 24 tonnes, came prefabricated from the factory; the rapid installation had a cost-saving effect on the construction process. The addition of iron oxide pigments gave the sharp-edged, impact- and non-porous concrete elements their anthracite-coloured, matt glossy surface. In addition to the geometric interplay, there is also the interplay with light and weather, because depending on the time of day and the weather, the façade sometimes appears more or less strongly modelled.
Nevertheless, the building does not appear restless, as the architect chose formats of similar size for the windows and gates as for the façade modules. The panels, which are up to 6.60 by 3.90 metres in size and a maximum of 62 centimetres thick, are constructed in a sandwich system: a base layer, an insulating layer and the outer façade shell. The core insulation, together with the triple glazing of the windows and heat recovery from the production waste heat via the underfloor heating, ensures the sustainable operation of the building. Textile, external screens protect against excessive sunlight, which when closed create seamless, also dark grey surfaces. They are opaque from the outside, but it is possible to see through them from the inside.
Dark outside, light inside: Light colours dominate the design of the interiors – embroidery and printing are located on the first two floors, offices and showrooms above, storage and technology in the basement. In addition, a reduced but high-quality range of materials was used here as well. The walls are white, and the built-in steel furniture is also painted white. The window frames are made of larch wood, the floors of polished seamless screed. The rooms are column-free, so they can be easily adapted to changed production processes.
[Source: Beton.org] (https://www.beton.org/inspiration/architektur/objekt-details/produktions-und-buerogebaeude-der-textilmacher-gmbh/)
Photos: Michael Compensis
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