In Obersendling, a former industrial section of Munich, HWKN utilizes its unique, place making strategies to create an office campus that is inviting and works to revitalize the whole neighborhood. HWKN opted not to build on an entire corner lot but to cut a canyon through the new building, and thus create a lively and inviting interior plaza.
Importantly, a pathway is now formed that connects the neighborhood with this new campus and with the Siemenswerke S-Bahn station beyond. People can take advantage of the canyon’s coffee shops and stores, even visit a gallery and production facility that, along with a nod to its history, shows off the legendary camera manufacturer Linhof’s current models. The result is a sense of community where there was none before.
HWKN pays homage to the industrial heritage of this neighborhood by choosing what appears to be a traditional gray brick for the façade, but adds a strong and highly visible symbol of the future: a copper-colored metal for the trim and paneling that appeals to neighbors utilizing the canyon. By creating such a ‘full of life’ passageway for the entire neighborhood, HWKN’s new offices become a key place and destination in Obersending’s reawakening.
