Grünes w mit quadratischem Kasten neben grüner Schrift weisenburger
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Frontal view of the south facade of the new weisenburger´s headquarter with green trees
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Tadao Ando in Germany

weisenburger headquarters in Karlsruhe

The weisenburger group of companies is moving into its new company headquarters in Karlsruhe. The new office building was designed by the Japanese star architect Tadao Ando. The Group which specialises in construction and project development built its own headquarters.

With a gross floor area of 13,000 m², the new-build provides 650 workstations and 15 meeting rooms spread across seven floors. An innovative working environment is being created, complemented by a cafeteria, a fitness studio, a roof terrace, and an open staircase in the inner courtyard. An underground garage with three levels provides the required amount of parking spaces. Client and Managing Director Nicolai Weisenburger summarises the design principles of the building:

“The building is effective in its simplicity. Concrete plays a key role as our main building material. Reducing it to the essentials is simultaneously reflected in top efficiency. For us, straight lines and pragmatism are key.”

 

Play of light between the columns and the facade of the new weisenburger´s headquarter in KarlsruheView of the west facade of the building with a cantilevered building element under a blue skyYoung green tree in front of a concrete wall.Looking up on the west side of the building: the window front, concrete ceiling and concrete columns can be seen.light up headquarter from weisenburger at nightsouth facade of the weisenburger headquarter in the duskCurved north side of the building with a blue sky. Looking down the hall: a low table with two chairs, a think tank and offices on both sides. Play of light on an exposed concrete wall and the parquet floor in the foyer.The east facade of the building is lighted up by the last sunrays of the dayStraight wooden stairs with glass parapets are connecting the floors with each other.A wooden staircase leads down behind a glass wallView from southwest corner of the glass and concrete building.Cantilevered concrete staircase with glass armor in the foyer.Offset exposed concrete wall with anchor holesThe main entrace of the building on the southwest side is framed by several concrete supports.View from the sixth floor of the opposite glass facade.Concrete column and concrete wall with anchor holes in the foyer of the weisenburger headquarter.View of a wooden staircase with a glass railing that leads down one floorThe top of the building is supported by round concrete supports.A wide concrete staircase leads to the first floor in the inner courtyard of the weisenburger building. Looking down the hall: a low table with two chairs, a think tank and offices on both sides.Concrete column in truss construction opticsFrontal view of the south facade of the new weisenburger´s headquarter with green treesView into the foyer with cantilevered concrete stairs and seating areacurved exposed concrete facade on the north side of the buildingThree comfortable chairs stand around a low white table in front of an exposed concrete wallTrees in front of concrete pillars on the east side of the building.View across the inner courtyard to the south wing of the weisneburger headquarter.View through glass partitions into a light-flooded office with a desk and conference table.Bright, semi-open office with a glass wallConcrete staircase leading to the roof terrace.View from the gallery on the first floor through the glass facade into the inner courtyard.frontal view of the south facade with a blue sky.View into an open space office with a workplace and seatingCantilevered concrete staircase with glass parapet in front of an exposed concrete wall.Green alcove in front of concrete wallTwo comfortable chairs and a table in front of a white partitionThe cantilever concrete staircase in the foyer is lighted by sunlight and casts shadows.Concrete pillars flanking the entrance on the west side.Light falls through the windows onto a cozy seating area surrounded by a truss construction.Foyer with reception counter, concrete column and an open staircase, with the inner courtyard of the building behind it.

If you would like to use the photos, please contact the photographers directly:

HGEsch Photography (contact@hgesch.de) 
Roland Halbe Fotografie (contact@rolandhalbe.de)
Architekturfotografie Kazakov (nikolay@kazakov.de)

Tadao Ando in Karlsruhe - Glass and exposed concrete


“In 2014 we first looked into working with “Tadao Ando Architect & Associates”. We really wanted to realise this project which was extremely important to us with this architect in particular. A common concern of architect and client was to create an aesthetically valuable building that meets the latest technical standards, is energy efficient and so offers our employees the best working conditions.”

Nicolai Weisenburger explains how the project all started. In 2017, the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony was celebrated, followed by 35,000 m³ excavation. The designs put forward by the Pritzker prize winner Tadao Ando were implemented with “archis”, a local architecture firm.

The height of the cubic design varies: on the street side, the building is seven storeys tall. The top floor leads to the roof terrace via a gallery. The trapezoidal portico with the main entrance is located in the west wing. The side wings are four storeys tall; the building is one storey shorter on the north side. The building will blend harmoniously into its surroundings, with vertical planting of the wide overhang planned in future and the green roof surfaces.

Concrete ensures the structure is stable and durable. Despite this, the glass facade and its structure give the building a light and transparent feel. 5,000 m² of glass panels accompanied by 16,950 m² exposed concrete complete the building; a total of 32,228 anchor holes were made. The exposed concrete is produced using a special recipe. On the one hand, the surfaces feel silky smooth, and on the other hand, they end with sharp edges.

Architectural highlights include the large open staircase in the inner courtyard and the cantilevered concrete staircases in the foyer and skylounge. A truss construction in exposed concrete on the second floor supports the cantilevered building element of the five floors above. The precision of this work is remarkable. The supports are not only there for static load reasons; they fulfil the highest aesthetic demands by being in straight alignment.

Technology for greater sustainability


The new company headquarters is not connected to any external heat source. The thermal energy required is taken from the atmosphere alone and then stored or used by a futuristic control strategy via heat pumps. To store the energy, the floor panel of the third basement storey and the ceiling of the first basement storey (with a thickness of 1.19 m) are activated to be a thermal buffer storage facility. Two parallel, independent systems (concrete core activation and underfloor convectors) transfer the heat and cold into the room completely autonomously. The underfloor convectors allow individual temperature control. The ventilation system with heat recovery and adiabatic cooling is also highly energy-efficient. The innovative and emissions-free system contributes towards sustainability and will save 30 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Karlsruhe as an attractive location


weisenburger is represented at 13 locations in Germany. The company is not only expanding physically, but the number of employees is also steadily growing. The location helps counteract the shortage of skilled workers, it is very well connected in terms of infrastructure and centrally located. The proximity to universities and colleges is also beneficial: courses, research projects, and internships bind future specialists to the company early on.

TOP 100 - weisenburger recognised as Innovation Champion


The innovation competition, accompanied by the science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar as the mentor, evaluates the innovation successes of companies. In 2021, weisenburger is named SME Innovation Champion for the third time, primarily for its digitisation strategy and the weisenburger app world.

About the corporate group


“We build the future!” – this is the slogan that weisenburger is continuing to build on. Founded as a construction company in 1955, the weisenburger group of companies incorporates high effective companies that cover the complete value range in the construction and property sector. Effectiveness to the tune of € 500 million. From terraced houses to residential construction and hotel construction: weisenburger’s goal is to be the driving force for affordable construction in Germany. Every year it builds approx. 3,000 units. The group is divided into three business sectors: construction, project and start-up.