#Office buildings for new ways of working #Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements #A clear identity #New Work with loggias #A green courtyard as a hub for communication
Typology Office Building volume GFA approx. 36,000 m² Client Pandion Vista GmbH & Co. KG Architecture kadawittfeldarchitektur Project phases 1–8 (Phase 8 with Lean Management) Planning 2019–2021 Completion 2025 Competition 2019 – 1st prize Certification DGNB Gold (submitted), WiredScore Gold
#Office buildings for new ways of working #Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements #A clear identity #New Work with loggias #A green courtyard as a hub for communication
“The office of the future is a place for people to come together, a place that defines who we are.”
Gerhard Wittfeld
In Berlin’s Rudolf-Kiez, the southern part of Friedrichshain, between Ostkreuz and the communications and media companies lining the banks of the Spree, the Ostkreuz Campus is taking shape – a complex of three office buildings that provides an urban development stimulus within its diverse surroundings. The central component is ‘OFFICEHOME Pollux’.
With its ring-shaped structure, the office building occupies the outer edges of the corner plot and frames the street space. At the same time, it connects with the surrounding urban space and the two neighbouring campus buildings via four inviting, two-storey passageways. The green, urban courtyard thus becomes a hub for interaction. It serves as a meeting place, inviting people to linger or even to work outdoors. Whether with a laptop in a quiet corner or a relaxed meeting amidst the greenery, anyone needing a change from their desk will find a suitable spot here. Potential café and retail uses on the ground floor offer further opportunities for socialising and interaction, and help to further enliven the courtyard.
With its generous openings, the ‘OFFICEHOME Pollux’ connects with the urban environment and the two neighbouring campus buildings. Its inner courtyard thus becomes the hub of the building and the entire campus.
Four lobbies at the entrances provide access to up to 44 office units, both directly from the streets and from the inner courtyard.
The floor plan concept follows the building’s ring structure: a central circulation corridor with integrated multifunctional zones forms the backbone and allows for a wide range of partitioning options.
Loggias expand the ‘New Work’ offering, encourage interaction and short breaks, and provide space for working outdoors. At the same time, they create a direct link between the office floors, the courtyard and the urban space.
Visualisations from the design phase
Not a closed-off office block: the building sees itself as part of the neighbourhood and creates links to its surroundings via loggias and passageways.
Window frames in alternating shades of bronze and champagne, in harmony with the loggias, subtly reinforce the impression of stacked units and add warm accents.
The ‘OFFICEHOME Pollux’ is situated in a diverse neighbourhood, nestled amongst prefabricated and Wilhelminian-style residential buildings, commercial premises and discount stores.
Within this diverse setting, the campus, situated on the site of a former car dealership, provides a catalyst for development. With its nuanced, finely scaled façade design, the OFFICEHOME Pollux bridges the gap between the existing neighbouring buildings and the urban transformation being pursued. Horizontal and vertical ‘joints’ structure the five standard storeys and the stepped storey, making the building appear as a sequence of stacked units. Generous loggias blend into this structure and interweave office life with the street space.
Alternating bronze and champagne-coloured window frames subtly reinforce this impression and add warm accents. Their depth, in combination with the loggias, lends the façades a sense of plasticity. Light and shadow continuously enliven and alter the appearance of the façades. The high proportion of glass and the loggias intensify the connection between office life and the surrounding urban space, in addition to the link at street level.
The courtyard is connected to the surrounding urban space and the neighbouring office buildings via inviting, two-storey entrances.
The landscaped courtyard, designed by TOPOTEK 1, forms the social hub of the office building and the entire campus.
Four spacious foyers situated along the passageways create distinct entry points. Access points via the inner courtyard further enliven the space.
Floor plan: Ground floor with courtyard
The interconnection of office spaces and outdoor areas is a key theme of the design. Each office unit has its own private loggia, which can be used as a sheltered extension of the workspace. These spaces encourage informal encounters and communication, allow for short breaks outdoors and facilitate new ways of working.
Spacious roof terraces with views stretching as far as Alexanderplatz and the central courtyard complement this offering to form a cohesive system of open spaces. Lush greenery, quiet retreats and calmer zones such as the ‘Silent Garden’ cater to a range of needs – from activity to concentration.
Transparency and openness foster the campus spirit and encourage cross-company collaboration.
The loggias, with their wooden floorboards and slatted ceilings, offer natural, inviting outdoor spaces.
The five storeys and the penthouse floor have been designed with flexibility in mind. They allow for both bespoke single-tenant solutions with individually designed entrances and multi-tenant layouts. The four spacious entrances, situated along the corridors, provide clear points of entry and enable individual units to be used independently. In total, the building can be flexibly divided into up to 44 office units.
The floor plan concept follows a ring structure: a central access corridor with integrated multifunctional zones forms the backbone, along which the office units are arranged. Office units ranging from 350 to 5,000 square metres per floor are possible. All standard office layouts can be implemented within them – from open-plan team spaces to cellular structures. Generous room depths, an efficient column grid and integrated multifunctional zones form a framework that can be adapted in the long term to evolving working environments.
The office units benefit from private loggias and roof terraces. This creates a direct link between staff and the urban environment.
The office spaces are designed to be consistently flexible, with their ring-shaped layout, high ceilings in the open-plan areas and central, customisable multifunctional sections: they can be divided into up to ten units per floor, accommodate all standard office layouts and can adapt flexibly to changing requirements.
The building accommodates both cubicle layouts and open-plan workspaces.
With sustainability in mind, 262 bicycle parking spaces have been created in the underground car park, including a dedicated access ramp. These are complemented by 90 car parking spaces. Further bicycle parking spaces are located in the courtyard.
Sustainability is an integral part of the design, for which DGNB Gold certification has been applied for.
Particular emphasis is placed on a sustainable water management and greening concept. The microclimate is significantly improved through the large-scale removal of paving from the former commercial site, as well as extensive greening of the inner courtyard and roof area. An intelligent water management system retains rainwater and uses it for irrigation. Long-term durability is ensured by high flexibility of use and durable materials. Photovoltaics and energy-efficient building services, combined with a high-quality building envelope and controlled ventilation with heat recovery, ensure resource-efficient operation whilst maintaining a high level of user comfort.
Courtyard festival 2023
Courtyard festival 2023
The first users of the loggias, 2023
Facade mock-up
Courtyard festival 2023
Two-storey exposed concrete trusses allow for spacious courtyard passageways. Inside, they remain visible and create an intriguing spatial effect.
View of the courtyard 2023
Construction site 2023
