NEW GASCADE HEADQUARTERS
KASSEL, GERMANY
The new Gascade headquarters is a clear star-shaped structure. The heart of the building is the compact, light-flooded atrium with a central staircase, which connects the foyer with the four office floors. The atrium enables clear orientation in the building and promotes communication among employees. The office areas are located in the star-shaped building blocks, which ensure concentrated and undisturbed work with an open view for all employees. The star structure furthermore creates unique breakout spaces between the building extensions for everyday meetings, breaks or larger gatherings.
In terms of urban planning, the property has very loose contextual ties with the surrounding area. While a track field adjoins to the south, and the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann premises are located to the north, these areas are not really noticeable due to the topography. Thus, the only real "neighbour" to be considered is the IWES to the east, which provides a heterogeneous building structure in 4-5 floors with subsequent lower workshop areas.
From a topographical point of view, the site is a plateau, which will give the upcoming development a certain long-distance effect and also open up beautiful views from the inside.
For the reasons described above, we have chosen an architectural language that is primarily derived from itself. The compact star-shaped design is equally self-confident and identifiable from a distance, creating open references to the surrounding urban space. The star-shaped floor plan symbolizes Gascade's activities by stretching out in all directions.
Size: 15.500 sqm
Location: Kassel, Germany
Client/Host: GASCADE Gastransport GmbH
Collaborators: Urban Agency, RKW Architecktur+
Type: Invited Competition
Status: Settled
Team: Henning Stüben, Heechan Park, Scott Grbavac, Kristen Van Haeren, Doohyeong Lee, Borja Santurino
