Penthouse 01

Aachen, Germany

Photo © Jens Kirchner

Office Buildings

Architects: CROSS Architecture

Location: Büchel 29-31, 52062 Aachen, Germany
Year: 2018
Client: privat
Acquisition: direct commission
Commission: SP 1 – 5, architectural site supervision (SP 8)
Architect: CROSS Architecture / Benthem Crouwel GmbH
Project team: M. Sporer, C. Wens, S. Vijgen, L. Polaczek, J. Gör
Project partners: Building services: IQ Haustechnik | Structural engineering / fire protection: Kempen & Krause Ingenieure GmbH
Gross floor area: 400 m²
Design: October 2013
Start of construction works: April 2016
Completion: November 2016

State-of-the-Art Office Concept  – The prominent existing building from the sixties is extended by a prismatic, one-story office loft. The object is consequently re-enacted as a self-contained unit – a self-confident supplement with a specific identity rather than just a mere continuation of the building.

Hybrid Construction of Steel and Wood – The cubing is derived from it´s immediate urbanistic situation close to the world heritage “Aachener Dom” (cathedral) and “Aachener Rathaus” (townhouse), incorporating the visual axes and orientations. The floor plan provides an open large capacity that directly benefits from the polydirectional orientation. An elevated section in the middle of the floor plan ensures an equally attractive view to all working spaces within the “open space concept”.

The project is designed as a hybrid construction using steel and wood to facilitate a short and economic construction duration based on usage of prefabricated materials. Developed in an integral process, the innovative office concept only needs a small amount of spots to build up from the existing building – making it possible to be realized with minimal impact on the active shop life going on below.