Esslingen am Neckar is a small and not very well-known city in southwestern Germany, but it claims a more prominent place in the country and in Europe. The office building project developed by MVRDV for Neue Weststadt, a warehouse complex currently undergoing renovation, serves this purpose. Block E, entrusted to Dutch architects, will take center stage there; the complex also includes a university, residential buildings and shops.
MVRDV took into account the advantageous location of their building: it will be visible both from passing trains and from the surrounding hills. The conceived "crystal rock" will receive an opening in the form of a pixelated silhouette of a city map: in this "Esslingen's Room" stairs, terraces and observation platforms will be arranged. On the façade itself, mirrored where solar panels will be "implanted" into it, the actual map of the city and its surroundings will be drawn.
The total area of 6,500 m² will be mainly occupied by offices, in the lower part a restaurant, cafe, meeting rooms are planned. A square will be created in front of the main entrance.
