Spiegel Headquarters

SPIEGEL HEADQUARTERS
Henning Larsen Architects is constructing the new Spiegel Headquarters 30.000 m2 and Ericus Contor office building 20.000 m2 in Hamburg, Germany. The 50.000 m2 media and journalism headquarters is located in HafenCity, an immense new inner-city development project. The topping out ceremony for Spiegel HQ took place on 23 September; the inauguration of the headquarters is scheduled for summer 2011.
HAFENCITY, HAMBURG
Located on the Ericusspitze plot at the eastern gateway of HafenCity Harbour, the Der Spiegel building and Ericus Contor building sculpt two distinct plazas: one arrival plaza for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles from Brooktorkai and one public plaza connected with the HafenCity waterfront promenade. The Spiegel building is oriented toward Oberbaumbrcke; its facade is recessed into a large cavity stretching from the third to the twelfth floor. Ericus Contor features a large aperture which establishes a visual connection with Lohsepark opposite the harbor.
DER SPIEGEL ERICUS CONTOR
The central concept comprises two U-shaped buildings planted embedded into a unifying base. The Der Spiegel building encloses an internal space oriented toward the Hamburg city centre, signifying a gateway into HafenCity from Hamburg Central Station and Brooktorkai. In contrast, the Ericus Contor building contains an exposed outdoor space connected with Hamburgs Lohsepark. The Ericus building exemplifies a central component of HafenCitys immense new park development.
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability and energy efficiency have played a crucial role in the con-ception of Spiegel HQ. The project has been preapproved for the Hamburg Gold Medal for environmentally and socially sustainable buildings. Spiegel HQ achieves numerous criteria for the Hamburg Gold Medal: optimized energy consumption, intelligent utilization of public resources, selection of sustainable building materials, and creation of a healthy and comfortable professional environment.
ENERGY CONSERVATION
The energy consumption of the Spiegel and Ericus buildings will be ap-proximately 80 Kwh/m2/year. Key technology for minimization of energy consumption includes extensive application of solar and geothermal facilities and an effective heating/cooling system integrated within concrete floor slabs. The glass cube utilizes a double compact faade, whereby the outer layer protects a ventilated cavity featuring flexible and efficient solar protection. An optimal balance between the faades U-Value, solar thermal load, and sufficient daylight minimizes energy required for heating, cooling, and artificial lighting.
TWO VOLUMES
The assertive angular appearance of Spiegel HQ is inspired by aerodynamic nautical sales; each structure defines and simultaneously embraces the spliced urban surroundings. The Spiegel building and Ericus building embody robust legible figures: two white glass cubes with double facades are positioned above the tiled plinth. The outer facade layer consists of glass while the inner layer comprises white metal with modular glazing.
MATERIALS
The exterior illustrates an intense contrast between tiled brick base and smooth filigreed glass cubes. The reflective surface of the double facade will vacillate between sheer opacity and translucence, depending on the time and orientation relative to the sun. The color palette pays homage to Spiegels logo and extensive history of applying Werner Pantons color palette to publications. In order to establish a link to the original offices of Speicherstadt, red brickwork and tiling have been selected for all surfaces.
BASE
The base is shaped as a large plinth; the upper level of the base connects with the street of Brooktorkai and the lower level connects with the quay. From the harbour, the plinth appears recessed from the edge of the wharf. The upper level of the plinth comprises a vast public square situated approximately 3 metres above the quay. The triangular plot of Der Spiegel and Ericus Contor is surrounded by publically-accessible water on two sides.
INTERIOR DESIGN
The aim of the interior design of Spiegel Headquarters is to establish a single unified identity where employees from different backgrounds and departments may exchange information and social interaction. Communication, flexibility, and transparence promote cross-pollination between the different platforms of the Spiegel Group. A flexible wall system Systemwnde allows for private offices of numerous scales, enabling flexibility and efficient transformation of the office layout in the future. It is possible to distribute office space along the entire exterior facade.