Double headquarters for two car brands, Weiterstadt
Seat and Skoda are two independent brands within the VW Group. The Group wanted to establish headquarters for both brands in a shared building. However, the architecture was to maintain the brands’ independence in terms of their external appearance. Our winning design, “Two-in-One,” creates a self-assured, stand-alone structure. The building was to be completed in 2009 and would have been one of the first to meet the criteria of the German Sustainable Building Council (DNGB) for a “green building.”
The gently curved structure features a number of remarkable ideas. It offers a uniformly attractive appearance visible from all sides without a “rear view” and, thanks to its mirrored “W” shape, forms six outdoor areas that are assigned to six functional zones. The brand worlds are clearly documented to the outside world by two entrances and the two key colors of the brands.
In addition, the unusual shape ensures that all employees enjoy an unobstructed, equal view of the landscape, with the semicircular rooms at the ends of the building offering a brilliant panoramic view.
The building offers almost unlimited flexibility of use. The entire standard floor space consists of two freely divisible office zones with a shared, elongated core. Both brands have their own elevator area with a meeting point and a lounge for short, informal meetings, allowing the independent brand worlds to be experienced inside as well.
The planning impressed the clients with many other innovative solutions. The design also met the required ecological energy efficiency standards in terms of building services. Heating and cooling of the building is provided by a highly efficient geothermal well system with concrete core activation, which provided the base load for heating and cooling. The result was low primary energy consumption and a pleasant working environment for all employees. Additional energy-saving measures were also planned, such as decentralized hot water supply for the kitchen and wet cores. A daylight-dependent control system reduces electricity consumption, and the building as a whole is designed to allow plenty of outside light to enter.