CONCEPT

Bayer is constructing a new group headquarter next to its tower, which will be demolished after the new building is finished. The semi-oval shape brings the Carl-Duisberg-Park into the building. With the addition of a long garden pergola to the north, the linear quality of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Allee is maintained and further reinforced. The pergola also requires that those approaching the building pass through landscaping and thereby reinforcing the sense that the building is situated within a park setting. The building continues the scale and the qualities of the Casino next to it in a modern way. It is of a high transparency, in conscious contrast to the old monumental original headquarter building across the street.

The 19,50 m wide plan is flexible to accommodate a double-loaded use zone or service zones in the center. The entry hall cuts the plan and focuses on the park. The only man-made intrusion into the park is a reflecting pool, whose round shape and weirs read “Bayer” and recall the company’s most recognized product.

The building has a twin-shell facade. The outer shell is completely out of glass, enabling natural ventilation, especially in the spring and fall. The outer shell protects from rain, wind and noise and allows the placement of the sunshades. Glass from floor to ceiling optimizes daylight.

The concrete structure has an integral heating and cooling pipe system, which takes advantage of the low energy characteristics of water and the thermal storage capacity of concrete.

If comfortable temperatures cannot be achieved at high and low exterior temperatures in the summer and winter, a displacement system fed by a convector, which cools or heats the supply air along the façade, mechanically assists in the generation of a comfortable environment.

Exhaust air from the offices is used to condition the corridor and entry hall. A computerized building management system controls all of these components and selects the most effective operational mode, balancing the exterior and interior conditions. Cost comparisons show that the total cost of climate concept and twin-shell façade is equal to a conventional system. Operating costs are reduced by 60%.
The roof over the fourth floor is a grid mesh out of steel with adaptive cells. Each of them fits in one mesh of the grid. There is a set of different types of cells. All of them show the same size and the same edge detailing which allows them to be placed, removed or exchanged easily by simply opening bolt connections and replacing the waterproof sealant.