Sedus in Dogern

The winner of the architectural competition to design the new Sedus office building in Dogern, Germany, has been announced: the Munich-based architect’s office Allmann Sattler Wappner

Leading international furniture manufacturer Sedus Stoll launched a design competition to collect initial concepts for yet another new building in Dogern, Germany, with the latter intended to complement the development building currently under construction. With the aim of concentrating energy and synergies in a single location, a new building featuring offices, seminar rooms and a showroom is to be erected for the departments still based at the company’s original Waldshut premises; the offices should be a harmonious addition to the rest of the company campus.

First prize and with it an invitation to finalise their competition entry went to the Munich-based architect’s office Allmann Sattler Wappner. The three other entrant firms each received a runners-up prize of equal merit: Münster-based Bolles + Wilson, LAVA and Wulf & Partner, both from Stuttgart.
Spring 2011 has been set as the target for the completion of construction works.

"The conclusive presentation submitted by Allmann Sattler Wappner stole the show because it integrates our corporate workplace design philosophy: 'Place 2.5 – the new emotional office culture'. The attraction of the building design lies in its unusually flexible, starburst floor plan and its transparency", explained Sedus’ Managing Director, Dr. Bernhard E. Kallup, also a member of the adjudication panel.

Construction project / Excerpt from the competition papers
The objective of the competition was to collect initial concepts for a new administrative building and its integration into the company site at Dogern, Germany. The addition will enable all company departments currently still located at the original site in Waldshut to move to new consolidated premises in Dogern. The project therefore not only includes the design of the new building, but also needs to address the idea of a campus, with the associated design of roads and pathways, parking and landscaping.

The design process needed to focus on corporate philosophy, with the aim of supporting and promoting informal communication, as well as creating an atmosphere of "productive well-being".
Using its 'Place 2.5 – the new emotional office culture' concept, Sedus has long been designing office environments which appeal to all the senses, stimulating creativity, communication and recreation. The result: business-related added value through increased efficiency.
The building under design is to house not only offices, but also a prestigious showroom and a conference and training facilities. In future it will be the first port of call for numerous customers and visitors. For this reason, the building also needs to have a "role model" aspect to it.

The majority of workstations should be located in an open-plan office environment. The new building needs to be a place of encounters, an expression of quality and courage, creating a "feeling of us" that can also be sensed by customers and visitors. The design therefore needs to be people-orientated, working outwards from their needs.

Having won first prize, Allmann Sattler Wappner has been requested to submit a finalised version of the competition entry in consultation with the specialist designers involved – Transsolar, CBP Tragwerksplanung and Realgrün Landschaftsarchitekten – following a collective workshop with Sedus. Spring 2011 has been set as the target for completion of the building.

Description of the Allmann Sattler Wappner (Munich) design, 1st prize
Allmann Sattler Wappner submitted a conclusive representation which adeptly employs the existing high-bay warehouse by Sauerbruch Hutton as a landmark and interconnects with the remaining buildings on campus. They created a low-slung structure to occupy almost the entire competition site, featuring varied openings to the inside and outside. The ground-floor areas allocated to different purposes – showroom, museum, café and conference facilities – extend in a starburst pattern beyond the actual competition plot, integrating existing structures to optimum effect.

The first floor is dedicated to office space, creating ideal conditions for interdepartmental communication. Exterior elevations combined with interior atria make optimum use of daylight conditions.
The generous interchange of open and closed elevations, particularly on the side facing the site road, creates a unique silhouette for the new Sedus world.