The Rewe headquarters campus in Dortmund already featured office buildings and the retail company's logistics center. Now it would expand with a new office building—a space where some 140 employees could embrace New Work in practice. To make this vision real, RKW Architektur + Dortmund office, in collaboration with their Münster colleagues, conducted a comprehensive needs analysis with future users through a series of workshops. The result: a three-story building with an L-shaped footprint and state-of-the-art work environments. What makes it striking is the bold contrast between its elegant black exterior and the bright, airy world that unfolds inside.

On the approximately 5,240 m² plot, the linear building stands out slightly from the topography. The fully glazed structure with external dark sun protection, structured by narrow black metal bands, appears almost to float. On one side, there are continuous balconies whose glass balustrades, like the façade glazing, create reflections and light reflections. The wow effect is immediate upon entering the building. The dark elegance gives way to a soothing brightness. At the junction of the L-shaped floor plan, an open area spanning all floors ensures maximum spaciousness. Skylights allow daylight to stream in past the vertically greened wall surfaces. The connection to nature is further emphasised by light-coloured wooden stairs, which are designed as wide seating stairs on the ground floor and first floor. The two wings house modern working environments based on an open-space concept, which includes meeting niches, telephone booths, think tanks, meeting rooms and a table football room. Each area is given an individual touch with its own colour accents. Due to the fully glazed façade, which provides little sound insulation, great importance was attached to acoustics. As a result, acoustic simulations led to the use of special acoustic plaster, carpets and wall absorbers, as well as appropriate furniture with acoustically effective surfaces that reduce sound in accordance with the requirements for open-plan spaces. The building meets the KfW 70 standard, which, given the high proportion of glass, could only be achieved through solar control glazing and external sun protection, as well as customised ventilation. The roof is also extensively greened.

www.rkw.plus

Photography:
Marcus Pietrek
www.marcuspietrek.de

(From CUBE Ruhrgebiet 02|24)