Siemens’ new headquarters is an urban, recognisable composition of plazas, courtyards and alleys that will unfold a new, vibrant urban space in central Munich.
Siemens and Munich are integrated into a harmonious whole by merging two archetypal entities – mass (Siemens) and void (Munich) – into a complementing formation. The city opens up the mass, which in response opens up to the city.
The new headquarters consists of six rectangular, rounded volumes attached to a central vertical structure that connects the entire building complex. This structure creates six varied courtyards engaging in close dialogue with the city – thus generating a new urban space to be explored.
The central corridor or “Interaction Zone” connects the various office spaces and represents the key concepts behind the organisation of the building – Communication, Interaction and Innovation. In addition, the office levels are connected by bridges, creating a continuous floor stretching through the entire building complex.
The heart of the new headquarters, the atrium, is situated in the middle of the building and is accessible from all sides. The atrium also serves as the main entrance to the headquarters.
The top floor is well-suited for public events such as art exhibitions and allows the visitors to enjoy the skyline of the city while exploring the exhibitions. The public access to Siemens’ new headquarters creates a continuous flow of guests and passers-by and signals that corporate architecture of the 21st century should be open and inviting.
Sustainable by design
Siemens’ new headquarters will stand out as a spearhead project in sustainable design in an urban context. The objective of the project is to exceed today’s standards for green building such as DGNB Gold and LEED Platinum. State-of-the-art technologies produced by Siemens are incorporated into the design to ensure an optimal lifelong performance.
The design is energy efficient in itself. The organisation of the office spaces, the slightly sloping facades providing the building with ample daylight and the selection of healthy, sustainable materials demonstrate that an open, healthy working environment is of high priority to Siemens.
Competition
The jury comprised Siemens President and CEO Peter Löscher, Siemens Managing Board members Brigitte Ederer and Joe Kaeser, the Mayor of Munich Christian Ude, Head of the Department of Urban Planning in Munich Elisabeth Merk, representatives of the Munich City Council and the District Committee for central Munich as well as experts in architecture, urban planning and landscape conservation.
Twelve architectural companies participated in the competition, including Baumschlager Eberle Lochau ZT GmbH, Auer + Weber + Assoziierte, Hopkins Architects, ingenhoven architects and schmidt hammer lassen architects.
Extract from the jury citation:
“With its self-confident and sensitive approach, the winning design will succeed in enhancing the quality of the urban environment within the parameters of the existing city. The spacious opening into Oskar-von-Miller-Ring will create a new self-confident address for the Siemens headquarters. The leafy forecourt will suddenly acquire a new meaning at the transition from the old city to the museum quarter, thereby creating an opportunity for inner urban development.”
Client: Siemens
Architect: Henning Larsen Architects
Landscape architects: VOGT
Engineers: Werner Sobek Frankfurt, Innius and hppberlin
Consultant (corporate identity): Johan Galster, 2+1
Gross floor area: 45,000 m2
Construction period: 2012-2015
Type of assignment: Winner of invited, international competition
Team of architects: Louis Becker (Partner), Kostas Poulopoulos (Lead Designer), Werner Frosch (Project Manager), Silke Jörgenshaus, Vanda Oliveira, Blanca Ulzurrun, Carl Lyneborg, Christian Schjøll (3D), Jie Zhang, Nico Schlapps, Omar Dabaan and Martin Wrå Nielsen (Sustainability).
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