ThyssenKrupp Quarter
The headquarters building houses offices for more than 500 employees. A sunshading system controls glare and heat gain in the office spaces; the exposed glazing encloses a multistory atrium.
The entire nine-building campus was designed by the same team, allowing the glass and steel vernacular to be carried through from the headquarters tower to the other buildings. The complex is programmed to encourage movement back and forth between structures (and thus interaction among employees).
In bright sun, the fins of the sunshading system fold flat against the building to block as much heat as possible. On the shaded side of the building, the fins open to allow in the maximum amount of daylight.
The motorized system is mounted vertically, allowing entire columns of fins to move in tandem.
To regulate temperature in the non-climate-controlled atrium, the design team employed skylights that release pent-up hot air and promote passive ventilation. Plants are set out on the bridges that traverse the space, and a garden is installed at the base so that workers who have offices looking into the atrium have a view that includes greenery.
The atrium is designed to host different functions, including presentations and other events. Small seating areas were designed into the bridges to serve as breakout areas and informal social hubs for the workers in the building.
The client brief mandated that a sunshading system be employed on the campus buildings, but that the view for employees not be obstructed. Even when closed, the small louvers that make up each fin allow for views while maximizing shading of the actual glazed façade.
The perimeter offices receive abundant natural light. They feature glass walls with frit patterns so that the light can penetrate deeper into the interior without compromising privacy.
The majority of the interior finishes and furniture on the office floors is white, in order to reflect the daylight and maximize its throw into the floorplate.
