projects | Viabizzuno progettiamo la luce

the client, the alfred kärcher gmbh & co. group, a family run company based in winnenden, near stuttgart, operating internationally and famous for its yellow cleaning equipment, has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. since the company’s premises were no longer able to meet the need for additional space, the group identified an area of 130,000 sq.m. that was part of an old brick factory, with a view to future expansion. the area is located right next to its headquarters, only separated from it by a railway. In order to commission the project, at the end of 2012 the client issued an international invitation to tender which was won by the reichel schlaier architekten studio. the first phase of construction saw the designing of office areas for 700 employees and a conference room seating 800, as well as an exhibition area with some rooms for presentations and a café. these new areas are connected to the premises on the other side of the railway by means of a pedestrian bridge. as a reminder of the factory’s past, it was decided to retain the old factory chimney, integrating it into the building. the area surrounding the new site is very diverse, dotted with residential buildings such as houses and apartment blocks, industrial buildings, shopping centres, stations, railways and large car parks. what these buildings, and those of the entire built up area, have in common, is their relatively low height which ranges from two to four storeys. in its tender, the reichel schlaier architekten studio proposed not to condense the project’s space into one tall building, but to break it up into three buildings each with its own function, namely administration, events and presentations. each function would be clearly recognisable from the different typologies of each building. between these buildings there is a beautiful square, a place to meet, to work and for discussions with clients. the area thus created connects the presentation building, the conference room and the offices and becomes the nerve centre of the new area. the façade of the office building is light and transparent. the blend with the surrounding buildings has a sober and simple effect, while the coloured elements in yellow, the company colour, span the interior illuminating the exterior and making the place feel welcoming. this effect is emphasized by the installation of 8 maxxi poppy, also made in yellow at the request of the kärcher company. these light fittings soften the austerity of the square and are reflected in the glass and clinker surfaces that cover the visiting centre.