New York architects Richard Meier & Partners announced the opening of the new corporate headquarters for Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG), the world’s largest green coffee service group located in Hamburg’s HafenCity. The site of the new building is a part of a redevelopment initiative of the post-industrial port into a business, commercial and cultural center. Overlooking the Sandtorpark, harbor basins and the traditional skyline of Hamburg, the 12-story glass tower, now called Coffee Plaza, and its two adjacent office buildings, act as an anchor for the renovated harbor.
More information and images after the break.
The new location for the 55-year-old company is attributed to a desire to participate in the rejuvenation of the historic HafenCity and the reinvention of NKG into a modern company that can be represented by an “architecturally outstanding, transparent and modern” building by a respected firm, Richard Meier &Partners.
Richard Meier & Partners and the developers of NKG had a stringent set of requirements with which to comply. Strict municipal zoning and sustainability challenged the architects and the client in their attempts to develop both a modern, sleek design and a green, sustainable building. New mechanical systems and facades were designed to reduce energy consumption while maintaining natural ventilation and daylight accessibility in the working environment. The south and west elevations are deisgned with vertical rotating louvres that minimize heat gain and provide shade for the users. The close collaboration between Richard Meier & Partners and NKG helped maintain the high standard that the architect and client strived to achieve.
The elliptical 8,000-sq-meter tower is a trademark Richard Meier & Partners design that includes a white and transparent glass facade, a light-filled atrium and office space. The tower is mixed use with eleven of the twelve floors housing offices. The additional penthouse, labeled the “sculptural roofscape” will provide additional conference rooms. The ground level houses an elegant restaurant. Parking and technical spaces are housed in the additional three subterranean levels. The adjacent office buildings are each 5,000 square meters and are comprised of six floors, a roof terrace, underground parking and ground floor retail space. The building also includes a collection of large-scale sculptures and paintings, including the largest bronze coffee bean.
