For a full century, the railway repair workshop at what is now the Neue Bahnstadt in Leverkusen-Opladen kept trains running. When the workshop closed in 2003, it marked the end of an important era for the district. The 70-hectare industrial site underwent a complete transformation, giving birth to an entirely new neighborhood. The Leverkusen-based architectural practice Rotterdam Dakowski was tasked by property developer Cube Real Estate with revitalizing the site's historic administration building – breathing new life into it as a contemporary office complex.

The vision for Cube Offices 574 was to establish an architectural identity for the entire district. The historic brick structure—stretching 80 meters along Werkstättenstraße near the adjacent campus—was completely gutted and reimagined. Its original roof was replaced with a striking addition that flows seamlessly into a generous open roof terrace on the south elevation and a loggia facing north. Removing a former gatehouse on the northern boundary allowed the building volume to extend toward a newly created plaza. Architecturally, the preserved brick heritage contrasts boldly with a contemporary façade of metal and glass in a distinctly different palette.

Fire safety and structural integrity presented significant technical hurdles, requiring specialized engineering solutions. All building systems were upgraded to current standards. The result: roughly 4,000 m² of flexible, open-plan office loft space distributed across three floors. The northern ground level also features a restaurant and café for employees and visitors—complete with an outdoor terrace facing the plaza.

The building now serves as headquarters for real estate firm Cube Real Estate and its subsidiaries. The architectural practice Rotterdam Dakowski has also established its offices here in the Neue Bahnstadt Opladen.

www.rotterdam-dakowski.de

Photography Credits:

Andreas Wiese
www.fotografie-wiese.de
Stefan Gatzke

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 04|21)