WDR mediagroup - Refurbishment of headquarters

On the basis of a feasibility study prepared by SSP, SSP was commissioned to carry out the "core refurbishment" feasibility variant of the WDR headquarters in Cologne. The freestanding building is situated in a prominent inner-city location and, together with the Kolumba Art Museum (architect Peter Zumthor), is surrounded by a high-quality architectural neighborhood. In addition to the restoration of a representative appearance, the design concept includes a functional optimization of the usable space and operational processes and implements a future-oriented office organization. Maximum flexibility of use and optimized energy efficiency round off the sustainable building concept. The new architectural concrete façade of the WDR headquarters is made of large-format, finely structured precast concrete elements. By selecting concrete as the façade material, it is possible to combine the aspects of a purist, representative appearance with the advantages of a large-format façade division and still achieve a solid-looking façade. By using a particularly high-quality concrete grade and subsequently polished concrete surfaces, the concrete structure meets the highest design standards. In addition, the advantages of prefabrication also meant that the construction time could be significantly reduced.
Large floor-to-ceiling windows ensure a high level of transparency and create a bright appearance in the interior. A special design was required for the multi-layered construction of the windows. Similar to a box-type window, there is a second window level in front of the regular opening sashes (double-leaf). The second window level can also be opened inwards for maintenance purposes. The necessary fall protection is provided by a baffle pane (covering 2/3 of the window surface) as a further external glass level. Thanks to high-performance insulating materials, the façade significantly exceeds the requirements of EnEV 2009.