Dutch fittings manufacturer Quooker sought more than just additional space for its growing business at its Korschenbroich headquarters. The company also wanted a showroom and B2B training facilities, all while reflecting its core values of employee satisfaction and retention. OttenArchitekten rose to the challenge, designing a headquarters that seamlessly integrates administration, exhibition, and warehouse operations under one roof—with the employee canteen commanding pride of place.

Positioned at the northern edge of Korschenbroich, this building makes a striking statement as the gateway to the industrial estate. Situated directly along the motorway approach, its distinctive façade—gently undulating between transparent and solid sections—commands attention, particularly after dark. The relatively compact site presented a significant constraint: accommodating both warehouse and office functions within tight spatial limits. To minimize circulation between the two zones, the architects developed an ingenious solution: a unified structure that internally combines both uses while externally reading as two distinct buildings. This duality is reinforced through careful differentiation in height and façade treatment. The office façade employs a cost-effective strategy using fiber cement panels in horizontal formats, rendered in anthracite. The result is dynamic: depending on light and weather conditions, the façade subtly shifts between lighter and darker tones, creating an airy, animated quality when paired with dark aluminum windows. The warehouse envelope steps into a different vocabulary, clad in Isopanels and punctuated by integrated roof and façade skylights that flood the interior with natural light.

The ground-floor showroom—entirely transparent and flooded with natural light—showcases Quooker's premium water systems. A generously proportioned "display staircase" with integrated vitrines reinforces the exhibition character while creating an open visual connection to the two office floors above and their dedicated training spaces. At the top, the employee canteen flows seamlessly onto a spacious roof terrace, offering sweeping views across the city.

www.ottenarchitekten.de

Photography Credits:

Frank Schoepgens
www.schoepgens.photos

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 03|23)