The Allianz Headquarters is an office complex linked and interlocked by a series of bridges and voids that aims to progress the 21st century work environment by becoming a second home to employees.
Architect: Wiel Arets Architects Location: Zürich, Switzerland Photographs: Jan Bitter
Once completed, the Allianz Headquarters will be composed of a high-rise tower and a five story building, both with a program of mainly office space, set within an urban plan based on a modified block structure. The two buildings will be connected by a series of bridges, enabling work, gastronomic and leisure spaces to fluently interact and socially cross-pollinate. Upon entering the lobby of the complex, a monumental sculptural staircase will rise 72 meters – the entire height of the building – essentially creating an accessible atrium that visually and intuitively routes users.
Multi-story voids will create short-cuts between floors, connecting them with multiple staircases and allowing a greater flexibility of work space arrangements. As these voids have been incorporated into the structure, in many regards, the building is adaptable to individual and future uses. The resulting voids, and the visual connections they create, will encourage a high degree of social interaction and further encourage use of the main staircase as the dominant vertical circulation path, rather than the use of elevators.
The close integration of work, gastronomic, educational and leisure related facilities aligns with the desire to create a stimulating work environment that goes beyond the vertical status quo of high-rise office design. These additional programmatic spaces – auditoriums, a ‘working restaurant’, two espresso bars and a fitness club with a running track on the roof – will all play a large role in creating a hyper-modern and dynamic work environment that anticipates the social needs of its inhabitants and visitors. A crèche, relaxation room and business centre will further contribute to the building’s hybrid program.
