The project is located near the Rhine harbour of Neuss - between an industrial area, “aged” office buildings and old village streets lined with small residential houses of Düsseldorf Heerdt – a diverse neighbourhood rich in typology and contrast.

The client brief was to create a communal environment that combines individual work areas with areas that all office tenants share and use together. There is a small kindergarten with two groups, there is the “Werftraum” living and dining room for everyone’s use and there are the organized sport sessions for all to participate – fostering a village like atmosphere within the building.  

In regard to sustainability the task was to rejuvenate, modernize and extend the project by using predominately low tech/low cost solutions and to use as little resources as possible. Also to explore the potential to retain the existing office building on site.

The four storey office building from the early eighties with the metal panel curtain wall façade and the distinctive rounded window cut-outs was a sleeping beauty. The original design included an allowance for adding two further floors to the existing building. The columns had load capacity left and the façade had joints to potentially continue with the panels upwards.

But rather than just adding a floor in the shape of the original building we intended to showcase the roof top addition as a landmark of change. 

Although the round-corner geometry of the roof top box follows respectfully the DNA of the existing building, the new building volume sits independently on the existing building, proudly cantilevering over the front façade. Full height windows maximize the views out and deep recesses shade the windows to minimize the need for external sun shading.

The gold colour of the cladding material sets a warm contrast to the silver and grey scheme of the base building. The roof top box opening to the East and West with all glass facades – maximizing the views of the river and the skyline of Düsseldorf. Wide stairs with seating steps lead down to the terraces.

The interior design of the existing building is derived from the industrial heritage of the precinct. The glass partition walls, the metal washbasins, mailboxes as well as the building and tenant signage is all manufactured by local locksmith that have workshops in walking distance. Many of the solutions were developed early on in collaboration with local tradesman and contractors to achieve the best outcome.

The original building structure is being left exposed – the ceilings, columns and core walls – to tell their stories of the past. Where possible interior finishes – like the white marble for the lobby and stairwells – were kept, fixed up and polished. 

Standing at the crossroad of demolishing the building and creating something all new or keeping the exciting design done by someone else. The easy solution would have been to start over. But we didn’t.  We believe we owe it to ourselves to try to maximize the lifecycle of buildings and products that we or others put into this world. 

The just 40-year-old structure was still capable of carrying itself and more for many years to come. The façade was waterproof, and the insulation values were still acceptable. Many interior surfaces were still in good shape and were waiting to be reborn. So we listened to the old fabric carefully and came up with respectful additions to complete, enhance and occasionally to contrast the existing mix of building element and materials.

Based on user feedback we believe strongly that we have achieved our goal and created a good balance between old and new – the past and the future. Not demolishing but carefully revitalizing a sleeping beauty that many overlooked.

The building has proven to be the intended catalyst of change for the area – new faces and new ideas are appearing; the neighbourhood is busier after hours and new rebirth projects are at the horizon for the near future. 

We also see that the people are using the building as hoped – spending time together in the common areas; sharing time, food and ideas. The community has taken shape and synergies are clearly visible.