In the so-called suburban area at the gas boiler in Stuttgart, Germany, on a typical radial highway of the big city, the new concrete headquarter of an online wine shop has been designed by Hippmann Architects.
A new meeting place for wine lovers stands on the grounds of an old abattoir located between industrial buildings and main traffic thoroughfares. The block-shaped company headquarters of exposed concrete has brought new life to an unappealing industrial area. In collaboration with the Projekttrangle design studio, Hippmann Architekten have developed a concept that unites various uses in a stark atmosphere and gives the company not only a logistics centre, but a clear identity as well.
Founders Sabine Harms and Oliver Schmid worked in close collaboration with Hippmann Architekten and Projekttriangle Design Studio to design the cast-concrete building. Based in Stuttgart’s old meat- packing district – location between a car dealer, metro tracks, a beverage store and the historic Stuttgart Gaskessel – the challenging site meant that construction relied upon prefabricated components.
Carefully curated lines of sight offer visitors views into spaces within the building that would otherwise be hidden, offering scattered perspectives through offices, the warehouse, and the packaging station. Seemingly randomly arranged quadratic windows create postcard-like panoramas out onto the surrounding landscape. Internally, concrete is teamed with modest brass, oak and black details. The interior also includes a selection of eye-catching artworks and design classics.