With BrainFactory in Bochum, Germany, HWKN designs the next generation of the office. To lure people back to working side-by-side, HWKN turns the workplace into a destination featuring lifestyle amenities such as a gym, and greatly enhanced interior flexibility. HWKN’s motion-catching design is evident upon approach. The firm removes sections of a ‘prefabricated box’ to create a defining and iconic disruption of the exterior. Since the prefab system does not allow for cantilevers, HWKN opts for a daring, distorted-column grid. “We uplifted and twisted the standard image of ‘the box!’, ” says principal, Matthias Hollwich.
On the interior, HWKN exposes structural columns, cuts out sections of the prefabricated box to enhance sociability. Light now floods into the seating lounges. The same reconfiguration – a cut-out turned 45 degrees – creates light-filled co-working areas. The brass finish of the sculpted exterior extends throughout, adding personality and forging an aesthetic link to the building as a whole and the city surrounding it. BrainFactory is the first of the Spirit line of office buildings designed for the German developer, Landmarken AG,. Spirit embodies HWKN’s core design principles: respect for nature, a happy and healthy work environment, intelligent design, and dedication to both neighbors and the community at large.
Opening in January 2025, the 86,000 square foot BrainFactory will be home to 600 employees. Further offices in the highly innovative Spirit line include AlphaSpace Aachen and KiteLoft Koeln.
