new trianel headquarters by gmp architekten opens in aachen

new trianel headquarters by gmp architekten opens in aachen
all images courtesy of gmp architekten

while previously scattered among three separate locations, the german utility company trianel has recently moved into its new headquarters in the city of aachen. the building was designed by the architecture office of von gerkan, marg and partners (gmp architekten), based on their winning entry in a 2012 competition.

seeking to be both ‘transparent and communicative’, the facility provides 6,300 square meters to its more than 300 employees, with the possibility of hosting up to 430 staff members in total. its glass façades are articulated by a strong horizontality, with pronounced floor plates and continuous shading louvers. the various office programs are arranged around a spacious and bright skylit central atrium, which features irregularly oriented staircases for direct circulation between floors and departments.

the building’s glass façades are articulated by a strong horizontality

the program is organized with its more public functions (cafés, auditorium, and library) on the ground level, while the upper floors contain office and meeting areas. specifically, an 800 square meter trading floor forms the heart of the building, where electricity and gas is traded 24 hours a day.

the upper work-oriented floors are interspersed with lounges, small kitchens, and a ‘think tank’, to offer opportunities for relaxation and informal communication. with the courtyard arrangement, the spaces allow for visual openness toward both the building’s interior and exterior.

shading louvers wrap the rounded corners to create continuous banding

the facility is provided with ample daylight via the skylit atrium and glass façades

irregularly oriented staircases cut through the central atrium

site plan

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level +2

longitudinal section

transverse section

project info:

location: aachen, germany
dates: april 2012 – competition prize awarded, october 2012 – start of construction, september 2013 – topping-out ceremony, april 2014 – completion of interior, june 2014 – occupation
client: trianel gmbh
design: volkwin marg and christian hoffmann with marek nowak
project management (competition): marek nowak with olaf peters
competition team: sebastian möller, christoph salentin, tobias unterberg
project management (detailed design): tobias unterberg
detailed design team: clemens dost, irina stoyanova, sarah coenes, christoph salentin