Merck, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and also the oldest currently active, was founded in Darmstadt in 1668; its headquarters are in this city today. Today, the Merck campus is evolving from a manufacturing center to a science and technology center. In the spirit of this transformation - the emergence of an Innovation Center there: an office building with a layout that stimulates efficient work.
The rectangular volume of the building is consistent with the surrounding buildings; the indent from the red line was used to create the square: it was designed by Berliners Topotek 1. Behind the center is the canteen for the employees of the Merck campus, connected to it by an open staircase and a closed walkway.
The interior of the Innovation Center is a continuously unfolding space, where work areas - two on a tier - are connected by bridges, stairs and spiral ramps. Therefore, the movement between the parts of the building is, as conceived by the authors of the project, smooth and almost imperceptible. Most of the pillars are placed along the facades, in the center there are only four. All of them are sheathed in stainless steel, polished to a mirror shine, and therefore are perceived as art objects, and not as part of the structure. Spans reach 20 meters.
The main work areas are for groups of people working together on a project or temporarily. Rooms for quiet activities and meeting rooms are located along the facade and on the mezzanine levels. On the first floor there are, among other things, a cafe, a salon and an auditorium, on the second - a library, on the upper - a workshop. The sound-absorbing ceiling covering creates a comfortable atmosphere in all parts of the building.
As Merck is also a leading manufacturer of liquid crystals, the building houses two media art with the latest organic LEDs: light and sound installation
“Cloud of Light” (by Tamschick Media + Space) between the Innovation Center and the canteen and the “Wall of Inspiration” above the reception desk (Art + Com AG).
The interior of the canteen building for employees echoes the adjacent building: streamlined, oval spaces, “mirror” supports, plenty of natural light, as well as more “busy” space in the center and free space in the corners. The ground floor is occupied by a food court, the upper two are occupied by tables. Both buildings received LEED Platinum certification.
