WOW – OH – PHEW – AAHHH

‘Werk 12’, a rectangular, five-storey building designed for flexible use, is already in operation as a diverse commercial complex.

First the Pfanni site, then Kunstpark-Ost, and now the Werksviertel – the area behind Ostbahnhof has had a very eventful history. Subject to constant transformation, it is evolving from an industrial site into a prominent urban cultural hub: Not only will the new concert hall be built here, but several other cultural buildings are also gradually taking shape. Most recently, in autumn 2019, ‘Werk 12’ was completed as a collaboration between the Munich-based firm N-V-O Architekten and MVRDV from Rotterdam. A rectangular, five-storey building designed for flexible use has already been put into operation as a vibrant commercial space. Anyone familiar with the history of the world-famous Dutch firm, MVRDV, will recognise a vague resemblance to one of their iconic buildings: MVRDV’s Dutch pavilion at the Expo site in Hanover in 2000 looked much the same, with its characteristic external staircases and extremely tall storeys. The purpose of the pavilion was, of course, quite different, as its role was to represent a country. But here – 20 years later – this building really livens up the centre of the Werksviertel with its striking appearance. A work of art by Munich-based artists Christian Engelmann and Beate Engl adorns the façade with its 5.5 m-high comic-style letters. They are taken from the Germanised text of Disney comics: an ‘AAHHH’, an ‘OH’, a ‘PUH’ or a ‘WOW’ illuminate the façade in different colours.

Its exterior stands out pleasantly from other buildings. The following facilities are spread across 7,700 m²: the ground floor houses restaurants and bars, whilst the three floors above are home to a fitness centre – with one floor occupied by a spacious swimming pool. Above that, on the top floor, Audi Business Innovation has its offices. The square building features floor-to-ceiling glass façades and is surrounded by 3.25 m-wide terraces connected by open staircases. Flexibility is at the heart of the building’s design. Thanks to the height of the floors, mezzanine levels can be incorporated to suit specific uses. This makes the building a contemporary, adaptable hybrid structure. And, as is typical of MVRDV, it embodies a certain unconventionality – reinforced by the ‘twinkle in the eye’ design of the façade. Comic sighs, groans, gasps of amazement, cheers – what else is needed to elicit a smile from the viewer?

Postscript

The German Architecture Museum has awarded the 2021 DAM Prize to WERK12 by MVRDV, a mixed-use building that forms the centrepiece of Munich’s Werksviertel-Mitte district. As the winner, WERK12 is the highlight of the DAM Prize exhibition, which will open as soon as COVID-19 restrictions allow, and is featured on the cover of the 2021 German Architecture Yearbook.
The DAM Prize for Architecture in Germany is the most prestigious architecture prize in Germany. Since 2007, the German Architecture Museum has presented the prize annually for the best new building in Germany. Each year, the museum compiles a list of 100 nominees, from which a jury comprising architects, critics and other experts selects the winner over several rounds.

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