herbertarchitekten were asked to design the new headquarter of europes biggest lighting-online-store - lampenwelt.de

The challenge was to transform a former school building, constructed in the 1960s, into a representative office building. Due to the huge demand of space, the original flat hip roof was removed and a new level in timber frame construction was placed on top. Naturally, the modernized building fulfills actual german regulations for energy saving in buildings. Inside the existing formal order was kept. Stairs and corridors remained, the former classrooms were transformed into offices. The street elevation was heavily modified. A new extension houses the entrance on ground floor. On first floor there´s a representative meeting room. Additionally, small rectangular windows. the glas covered with coloured and transparent foil, are scattered above the facade. Inside a new steel-constructed staircase, with 8cm thick stairs of natural stone, combines the ground and first floor. Staircase as well as the extension and the foil-covered windows are lit spectacularly with colour-changing LEDs. Architects and client decided to create a modern but decent feeling inside - realized through a combination of black granite, glass, white walls and ceilings.