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Register nowWhen the sun is out, it shines directly into the spacious atrium of the new DEG corporate headquarters. With this effect in mind, JSK Architekten have designed the complex with a variable roof.
The complex is intended as a venue at which the company stages events for German and international partners - with "open-air" as the buzzword in good weather. It was the idea of the "convertible roof" that won JSK Architekten the commission from Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, a company belonging to the KfW banking group. The designers are renowned for their spectacular projects, including Berlin's O2 World Arena and the German capital's new major airport. They developed the new headquarters for DEG at a site measuring 2,800 square metres in downtown Cologne. The complex opened its doors for 410 employees in 2008.
Framed by the striking grid of the five-storey sandstone facade, the glazed fronts showcase the development financiers' working day at the office. Transparent partitions inside the building ensure that vital light penetrates deep into the rooms. Interior designers Claudia de Bruyn and Uta Cossmann have created a spacious entrance with inviting oval furnishings. Light tones for wood partitions and flooring predominate the interior décor, conjuring up a congenial, upbeat atmosphere. Bright colours mark out the different areas. Restaurants sport a lively orange, while the spacious lounges between the offices are highlighted in yellow.
The offices provide a perfect mix of openness and privacy for personal contact with customers. The areas for concentrated activities pan out behind the transparent facade as an alternating succession of individual offices, team offices and meeting rooms. The combination of white and turquoise provides a light touch in the offices. The financiers have chosen their office and meeting chairs from Klöber's Duera range. Duera combines effective ergonomic features with an attractive silhouette.
The mesh of the backrest offers special comfort, its three-dimensional flexibility supporting the back in all sitting positions. The team offices are provided with seats featuring coloured fabric upholstery, while the exclusive leather variants embellish the management floors. The comfortable Itera chair has been chosen for the conference rooms. Healthy and mobile, staff and customers are suitably inspired to make the right decisions.
Project:
DEG head office, Cologne
Architect:
JSK Architekten, Düsseldorf
Interior design:
Claudia de Bruyn, Ratingen/Hamburg and Uta Cossmann, Düsseldorf
Products:
Duera and Itera, Klöber GmbH, Owingen
Photographs:
Hans Georg Esch, Hennef-Stadt Blankenberg