As part of the BMW Group’s FIZ Future engineering and development campus, the Hufeland site is being developed in the next phase of the overall master plan. The competition brief was to design a high rise that defines the identity of the campus and offers public access as well as economical and flexible working environments.

Thanks to its structural clarity, appealing public spaces and symbiotic mixed use, our high-rise design presents a distinctive inaugural landmark for this emerging district. The new structure is positioned along the axes and site boundaries of the neighboring buildings, using the diagonal street layout of Hufeland Strasse as its organizing principle. All four façades respond differently to their urban context; a fine lattice of delicate precast concrete strips clad the entire structure. Diagonal cutouts, rotated at 90 degrees along a spiral, form a contiguous green space that extends all the way to the roof terrace and gives the building its distinct shape. The cutouts blur the boundaries between inside and out, while the timber cladding, timber-framed windows, balconies and terraces generously expand the interior, offering a seamless, level transition to the high-quality outdoor spaces. In total, our design offers more square meters of terrace space than the overall footprint of the building.

The use of renewable, recycled or easily separable materials such as timber, steel and recycled concrete along with the landscaping on the façade highlight the building’s commitment to sustainability. Façade greening prevents overheating and binds particulate matter as well as CO2 emissions in this very congested location, while also providing natural shade, sound protection and privacy.