behnisch architekten completes the adidas world of sports arena in germany

behnisch architekten has completed the ‘adidas world of sports arena’, the new office and reception building, which marks the main entrance of the adidas group’s headquarters campus in herzogenaurach, germany. with a sculptural shape that emphasizes the company’s passion for sports, the arena welcomes visitors to the headquarters with a strong visual identity, illustrated in its expressive, yet functional, architecture.all images by david matthiessen

in a balanced interplay between transparency, landscape, and a modern concept of work, behnisch architekten has built a striking landmark within the adidas world of sports campus, formed by an abstract volume that houses three workspace floors and hovers above a modeled landscape. this sculpted hill accommodates the building’s entrance area, part of which is publicly accessible, leading to a vast bright atrium suitable for a variety of events.

within the atrium, a dramatic floating staircase forms the heart of the arena building and takes employees up to the three-story workspace section. with a total floor area of 52,000 square meters, the building provides nearly 2,000 employees with modern and sustainable workspace organized on flexible, organic principles. the three levels are connected, both vertically and horizontally, through a central ‘main street’, resembling a lively marketplace suspended in mid-air. on each floor, the ‘main street’ is adjoined by six kitchen hubs representing six ‘key cities’ characterized by distinctive materials, colors, and types of furnishing to form individual addresses within the building. work areas alternate with areas for formal and informal meetings and recreational zones, organized as variegated clusters around light wells of different sizes optimized to supply ample natural light.

the arena’s façade incorporates a specially developed sun control and shading system adapted to the orientation of each elevation, which optimizes the interplay between maximum light transmittance, including in winter, and minimum heat gain. thanks to its implementation of up-to-date energy-efficiency standards and extensive use of recyclable materials, the building has been submitted for LEED gold certification. behnisch architekten realized the architectural design using a steel-and-concrete construction and a system of slanted steel and concrete supports, while the lifting process of the 12,000 t steel structure with a size of 140×120 m was an engineering masterpiece.