In 2010, the Danish bureau won an international competition for the reconstruction of the historic palace of Ludwig Ferdinand (built in 1825 by the project of Leo von Klenze, the Siemens concern has occupied it since 1949) and for the formation of the company's head office on the adjacent territory that meets the highest modern standards … All the basic principles of a large-scale and ambitious project were immediately announced: to open the site to the city, connecting with its help the old city and the museum district, and create a technically perfect building, using all the latest technologies in the field of "sustainable" architecture, including the development of the client company itself …
The total area of the ground part of the new complex, into which the architectural monument can be easily built in, is 45,000 m2… Three underground floors, five above ground and partially exploited roofs create a more than comfortable working environment for the company's 1200 employees. The historic façade overlooking the pedestrian square of Wittelsbacherplatz has eight maples preserved. From here, through the entire complex and its 4 rectangular courtyards, there is a public space accessible to absolutely everyone with a cafe, a fountain, and green recreation areas. Another such courtyard was designed as a spacious, light atrium and became the center of the entire rather whimsical composition. On the opposite side, facing the Oscar von Miller Ring and the museum cluster, visitors and bystanders are greeted by the sculpture "Wings" by Daniel Libeskind. Separately, it is stipulated that the security of the company and its employees did not suffer from such an open solution and remains at a high level.
In general, architects and customers paid a lot of attention to the comfort and quality of the working environment. For example, the glass walls of courtyards are sloped to make the most of natural light. Naturally, all workplaces are located along the light front, but besides them, there are many places for individual or team work, informal communication. Continuous interior glazing is also important to support complex visual connections in the interior. More than 30,000 sensors constantly analyze the condition of the building and the various climatic parameters inside it. The system ensures safety, allows you to adjust the temperature regime and ventilation level "for yourself", adjusts the flow of fresh air in meeting rooms, depending on the number of employees, and adjusts the illumination level, focusing on the weather outside the window and the time of day.
As for the principles of "sustainable" development, the building received two Platinum level certificates at once - the German DGNB rating system and the American LEED. Local contractors were actively involved in the construction (about half of 400 firms) and local materials were used: for example, limestone for the side facades and paving of the public area (about 23,000 slabs were needed) was mined just 100 km from the city in the Altmühltal Nature Park. The installation of 7,500 LED luminaires has reduced energy consumption by almost half, and control sensors help to save another 25%. The building's carbon dioxide emissions are also kept to a minimum.
Collection of about 1,500 cubic meters of rainwater per year for toilets and irrigation, 800 solar panels on the roof, active use of recycled glass, as well as aluminum and steel, the use of specially grown and prepared wood, charging points for electric vehicles and bicycles with an electric motor in the underground parking, landscaped fragments roofs, sophisticated, advanced heating and ventilation systems and many other technological solutions allow the building to achieve the highest level of efficiency and environmental safety. The result is an ideally verified monument to the company's tough corporate culture (its Moscow office demonstrates exactly the same principles and similar methods of their implementation), engineering science and functionalism, which, however, fully meets the needs of our time.
