Plain and functionally optimizedby Annette Galinski | 11.11.2012

s.Oliver administration building

It all started in 1969 with opening the 25 m² small “Sir Oliver“ retail shop in Würzburg in Germany. By opening and inaugurating the new headquarter of s.Oliver in Rottendorf,one ofEurope’s largest fashion and lifestyle companies has exceeded the billion Euro marker in terms of turnover. The basis of the design was the 1st prize of a competition held in 2006, won by Jürgen Engel Architekten. Already one year after the opening of the headquarter, the company premises was expanded by a four-story canteen in 2009 for the nearly 1,400 employees at the Rottendorf site, designed by local architects Menig & Partner.

High-Quality Surfaces

With its modest shape language, the plain and functionally optimized building serves as a projection screen for the fashion world of s.Oliver. The characterizing part of the façade of the six-story building are the horizontal window ribbons and elements from anodized aluminum. The materials mirror the s.Oliver standards in terms of high-quality surfaces and bring the individual building parts into one standardized shape. Above the central entrance there is a two-story, glazed cube with a black frame, housing a long meeting room with a flashy red carpet floor, the brand color of s.Oliver. The first floor has the function of a shopping mall, the display windows of which stage the company’s inside to the outside world.

Light, Air and Space

The new architecture was supposed to provide light, air and space for the creativity of the nearly 350 employees. Two cut yards divide the overall structure and also supply the interior with daylight. The first building cut bids visitors welcome at the main entrance with an open and generous lobby, getting additional daylight through three cylindric domes. The second yard is arranged towards the already existing buildings on the company premises. Here, the architects have erected a garden as a protected recreational ground for the employees. Center point of the building is a spectacular oval stair with open galleries. Held in white, it winds itself along the floors towards the top. Flexible zones with lounges and communicative areas are spread across all floors. Open for other office designs in the future, all work areas are currently uses as open-plan offices.

Energy-efficient and multimedia-based  

The new headquarter neither has conventional radiators nor air conditioners. Downhole heat exchangers get heat from the interior of the earth into the building in winter, water ensures pleasant temperatures of 15 degrees during summer-time. Heat pumps guarantee post-heating of geothermal heat. Concrete core cooling distributes heat and coolness, and an air conditioning system controlled by waste heat recovery supplies the rooms with fresh air.

Large-scale video screens and an electric welcome, information and building guiding system with interactive elements make orientation inside the building easier – and maybe replace the neat receptionist.