GRAFT Architects, Germany
Of Reflectors ‘n’ Reflections - Vol.36(6), June - New Delhi Burda Media India Private Limited 2019 - 58-66p.
The architects designed the new site of the German lighting company in Cologne. The design of the rectangular building is strongly inspired by the client’s craft: light, refraction and reflections are reflected—in the truest sense of the word—throughout the building and its design embodies the precision of lamp manufacturing. The continuous, staggered glass façade presents a changing pattern of reflections from different viewpoints and draws inspiration from the aesthetics of spotlight reflectors, which optimize the optical distribution of the light source. To achieve this, each façade module is rotated at the same angle about its central axis. The overall impression is of a monolithic building that produces different light and depth effects depending on the point of view.
The main entrance of the campus makes an inviting gesture at the corner where it meets the street to the north, its glazing rising from one to two floors to wrap around the building corner. The new building frames the site on the western edge, defining a new space of interaction between the new and the existing buildings. The landscape design by Lill + Sparla creates an outdoor plaza that is green all year round, with delicate grasses that contrast with the uniform overall impression of the building. The theme of the plaza continues in the building’s interior.
URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN (AR-UPD)
Of Reflectors ‘n’ Reflections - Vol.36(6), June - New Delhi Burda Media India Private Limited 2019 - 58-66p.
The architects designed the new site of the German lighting company in Cologne. The design of the rectangular building is strongly inspired by the client’s craft: light, refraction and reflections are reflected—in the truest sense of the word—throughout the building and its design embodies the precision of lamp manufacturing. The continuous, staggered glass façade presents a changing pattern of reflections from different viewpoints and draws inspiration from the aesthetics of spotlight reflectors, which optimize the optical distribution of the light source. To achieve this, each façade module is rotated at the same angle about its central axis. The overall impression is of a monolithic building that produces different light and depth effects depending on the point of view.
The main entrance of the campus makes an inviting gesture at the corner where it meets the street to the north, its glazing rising from one to two floors to wrap around the building corner. The new building frames the site on the western edge, defining a new space of interaction between the new and the existing buildings. The landscape design by Lill + Sparla creates an outdoor plaza that is green all year round, with delicate grasses that contrast with the uniform overall impression of the building. The theme of the plaza continues in the building’s interior.
URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN (AR-UPD)