Groleger Architect`s most recent building balances mass, solidity and transparency.
The site is located on the border of the industrial area overlooking fields of wheat.
The new office building incorporates public/commercial program in the ground floor, offices in the upper floors and parking underground.
The diagram of the building is pure and simple: a cubic volume of 36,40m x 35,80m x 30,00m high with three basement floors, ground floor and five upper floors, covered with a flat roof partly glazed, with a gross area of 11.520 m2
What appears to be a simple shaped building in plan is complex in section.
Designed as an internal communication area with the public program (shopping facilities and restaurant) organized around the central entrance hall creating a lofty and bright internal piazza, the ground floor is fully glazed – the upper floors appear to be hovering above ground.
Two separate entrances lead into the heart of the building towards the central reception with inner communication, staircases and elevators leading to the upper floors.
A tall internal atrium with the inner communication, illuminated from above by natural light, connects the different spaces in the complex, providing a bright, spacious and airy place for circulation, orientation, and quiet contemplation, acting as as a bufer space both socially and environmentally animating the interior by a sensitive play of light and shade.
The architects aim was to create »an inspiring, humane, comfortable and enviromentally aware workplace«, with outstanding working conditions.
The disposition of the typical floor in the upper storeys alows a future division into two or more individual units and flexibility in size and structure depending on the needs of future users.
Combining open and closed spaces creates opportunities to introduce principles of passive cooling resulting in a energy efficient commercial building with additional qualities
All offices are oriented towards the façade allowing the use of natural light.
During the day, the façade glows with a warm, coppery tone reflecting the colour of the adjacent fields of corn and wheat.
Areas of clear glazing are punched into the translucent shimmering skin and define views of the landscape from inside offering generous panoramic views to the distant mountains, which makes some iconic presence in the adjacent landscape.
2008
Lidija Dikanovic
