Kaffee Partner headquarters

Following the international award-winning Leonardo Glass Cube 3deluxe has once again completed a piece of corporate architecture with an ambitious design and expressive formal language. The client was Kaffee Partner, a leading supplier of commercially used coffee brewing machines in Germany. In February 2012, following a construction period of just 16 months, a 100-metre tripartite building complex with 9,800 sq.m. of floor space was completed on an area of 28,600 sq.m. in Osnabrück. The extremely cost-effective design unites the aesthetic impact of a sculptural architectural object with the efficient functionality of commercial buildings. The concept for the administration tract aimed to harmoniously integrate the logistics hall and workshop in the building complex, which has previously been planned by the Osnabrück-based engineering association igk Krabbe GmbH & Co. KG. Individually produced elements hanging in front of the façade proved to be the solution; their flowing forms expressing the vitality, lightness, and power of innovation that are Kaffee Partner’s corporate values. The colour concept for the architecture and interior design of the new headquarters combines white as the main colour with near-natural hues from the world of coffee and here too helps create an holistic image of the company.

On all storeys, asymmetrically curved ribbons on the façade link the three edifices that make up the u-shaped complex with one another. They elegantly conceal the orthogonal grid of the concrete skeleton structure. The ribbons’ flowing contours give the architecture momentum and create visual suspense, which culminates in the animated, vertically staggered composition of the administration wing. Positioned on the south-eastern corner of the plot next to the approach to the company site this particular building represents a prominent eye-catcher. The ceiling slabs, differently shaped and cantilevered on each floor are surrounded on all sides by the meandering ribbons on the façade, which here assume the role of a parapet.

Accurately assembled from 150 custom-made pre-fabricated concrete parts, each weighing six tons, the façade ribbons structure the 100-metre view from the road of the corporate headquarters and create a sense of depth. Whereas on the cubic logistics hall the ribbons still form a straight-lined relief, in the direction of the administration building their contours become increasingly curved before at least even their surfaces morph into gentle waves. On the front of the ensemble the opposite is the case: On the façade of the customer support wing to the right of the four-storey administration structure, the façade ribbons once again take the form of straight strips running parallel to the front of the building. In line with the building’s surroundings, the dynamic façade was designed with a view to being observed at eye level and from a short distance. From the perspective of passers-by, be they on foot or motorised, the under surfaces of the overlapping storey slabs and façade ribbons present a particularly attractive, varied interplay between shape, light, and shadow. At times, the light reflecting off the copper-coloured window frames and sun protection lamellas give the white surfaces a gentle metallic shimmer.

The strikingly designed corner administration building is not only the visual, but also the functional centrepiece of the corporate headquarters. In addition to individual offices and conference rooms it also includes communal lounge areas for informal conversation. The offices for members of the management board are located in a penthouse that is mounted on the roof terrace and whose shape adopts the basic rectangular structure of the building complex. The roof-top edifice is clad with white metal panels and has two executive offices, a reception room, a lounge with a fireplace and a conference room. Panoramic windows that are flush with the façade afford a view of the 10-hectare company site. The CEOs’ offices feature custom-made furniture and high-end fittings, with white surfaces and light and dark genuine wood veneer dominating. Architectural elements recur in the interior design: Modelled on the shape of the façade ribbons, a dark oak inlay intersects the white wall behind the reception desk, which is likewise curved. In the room with the fireplace, the latter and wall cabinets were arranged such that they form a relief of cubes penetrating each other.

The main entrance to the corporate headquarters is located between the administration and the customer support sections and leads to the semi-public forum. Here an atmospheric brand world has been created with an exhibition of the company’s products, a cafeteria, and several lounges. Attention to detail and custom-made objects, for example the room dividers boasting a thermally shaped surface perforated by a water jet cutter, also characterise the interior fittings concept in this section. White inlays in the dark oak parquet flooring link the individual areas in the forum in the form of curved lines that intersect several times. The free-standing furniture can be moved and reconfigured or completely removed for events. Because in some cases the single elements weigh more than 350 kg they have a hydraulic lifting mechanism.

The forum, as the architectural realisation of a common centre, not only fosters the public image of the company but also its corporate culture and internal communication. All employees enter the corporate headquarters through this central meeting point from where they continue to their various workplaces. The forum is an ideal place in which to spend breaks. It is also used for in-house events and training sessions. In order to enable the public to experience this open and social corporate philosophy even more intensely, a Coffee Drive Thru with small hospitality facilities was built on the company site. The pavilion-like building blends in harmoniously with the overall ensemble but, thanks to its expressive design, makes for a striking venue for pedestrians and motorists.

For the some 300 employees of the medium-sized company, its clients and the inhabitants of Osnabrück, the new Kaffee Partner corporate headquarters represent a friendly contemporary working world, in which architecture and design are an indispensable element of a product and corporate culture that is authentically lived out.