In Esslingen Weststadt, a centrally located, modern and environmentally exemplary urban district is currently being developed on the former site of the municipal utilities. This mixed-use area includes residential, university and commercial spaces. The old administrative building of the municipal utilities is also being incorporated into the new land use plan. The municipal utilities, in turn, was provided with a new company headquarters at a different location, which we tailored and designed to accommodate operational workflows and the needs of content employees.
In the highly heterogeneous industrial area of Neckarwiesen in Oberesslingen, a modern, five-storey administrative building, an operations building and a parking garage with 200 spaces were constructed on a company-owned property within two years for the Esslingen municipal utilities. The newly constructed buildings enclose a central depot. The structures adapt to the height difference towars the adjacent site of the haulage company and integrate a works yard. Together with the parking garage, the administrative building defines a forecourt as an entrance and screens the depot from Fritz-Müller-Strasse in the northwest. The administrative building borders the attractive adventure path of the renatured Hainbach, which feeds into the Neckar River at this point.
In terms of both design and function, different usage areas were skilfully connected, as is evident in the varied façade designs. The administrative building, designed in solid construction, consists of a two-storey podium and a four-storey cube. The cube was placed on top of the podium in such a way that it forms a circumferential projection, serving as a canopy in the entrance area. Additionally, the administrative building is a prominent landmark in the industrial area, visible from afar.
Different façades for different uses
Each building component has its own material character, making the different functions recognisable by the respective façades. The cube of the administrative building features a façade made of glazed ceramic tiles that shimmer in daylight depending on the weather, contrasting with the podium’s smooth fair-faced concrete façade. Long horizontal ribbon windows are integrated into the dark tiled façade at regular intervals, continuing into the concrete base.
A self-supporting glass and steel bridge leads from the administrative building to the adjacent operations building, which accommodates workshops, technical facilities, services and storage. With its vertical, pre-greyed wooden façade with rebate joints, this building marks the transition to the workshop hall, which consists of a traditional timber structure. With its façade made of vertical steel slats, the parking garage, constructed using a steel frame, echoes the wooden envelope of the operations building. We intentionally combined surface colours of different façade materials from related colour families to create a dynamic and harmonious overall ensemble.
Successful design both inside and out
The floor plans of the administrative building are individually tailored to the internal processes of the municipal utilities. This building houses office spaces and a staff cafeteria. Various functional areas on each floor are grouped around a central circulation zone with sanitary facilities and tea kitchens. A contemporary office environment with flexible individual and open-plan offices is provided with ample daylight through floor-to-ceiling glazing in white-glazed wood-panelled partition walls, allowing for visual contact within the departments.
The ground floor with an atrium is also accessible to visitors. The central area opens upwards around a self-supporting wooden staircase, creating a spacious void with floor-to-ceiling glazing that line the first floor like a gallery and allow for long sightlines. Folding partition walls open up the bright cafeteria on the ground floor onto a terrace facing the Neckar River to the south, extending it into a landscaped outdoor area.
The area around the Hainbach, which feeds into the Neckar River at this point, has a high recreational value for the employees. For the construction project, only a few trees had to be felled, which were replaced by new plantings elsewhere on the property. In the landscaped outdoor area, a large, terraced pond serves as a retention basin, collecting rainwater from the paved depot and slowly returning it to the natural water cycle.
Sustainable and future-oriented
The administrative and operations building was constructed according to the KfW Efficiency House 55 standard. The roofscape is largely greened, also slowly returning rainwater to the natural cycle, and is additionally equipped with solar panels. The electricity regeneratively generated here is directly used in the offices and workshops. Due to its favourable location near the district heating line, the buildings can be cooled in summer and heated in winter. Thanks to good insulation, low temperatures are sufficient for this purpose.
In general, durable and robust materials were used, which can be dismantled or replaced without much effort. Sustainability is reflected in the predominantly used timber structures and the extensive wooden façades of the operations building, as well as the durable ceramic façade of the administrative building.
In the design of the new building, we saw a unique opportunity to position the Esslingen municipal utilities well for the future with improved workflows in an energy-efficient new corporate headquarters. Should there be any future space requirements, reserve areas are available.
