Introducing our winning design for a new office building at Nuremburg’s Central Station
Our design for the green-terraced office tower was named winner in a competition hosted by MEAG.
Abutting the border of the city’s historical center, the building inhabits the crossroads between Nuremberg’s historical identity and the burgeoning urban district around the central station. Sitting on a prominent urban axis, where the Frauentorgraben meets the Bahnhofsplatz, it will be a new point of reference for all passing through the train station, whether it is tourists, travelers, shoppers, or office workers. “We have the fantastic chance to contribute to the image of the city with a new landmark," says Lucas Ziegler, Head of Design at Henning Larsen Munich.
A new landmark in central Nuremberg
Our design replaces an existing mid-century structure that has been plagued by a variety of inefficiencies. Now with a new building taking its place, we saw an opportunity to build sustainably while implementing best practice workspaces— and to create a lasting impact on the urban environment. Upon completion, the energy consumption will surpass the requirement of the German Energy Saving Ordinance by 20 percent. The interior layout offers flexible spaces for a wide range of office typologies. Greenery populates the interior courtyard and upper-level terraces, enhancing the workplace environment and giving employees pleasant moments of respite throughout the day.
The new office building acts as an important anchor in the structure of the Bahnhofsplatz. The façade design mediates between the historical and contemporary architectural characteristics of its surroundings, its two volumes — a seven-story base topped by a tower —adjusting in scale and orientation to the site’s diverse urban environment. A transparent, double-height ground level offers pedestrians views into the retail and commercial offerings, while the natural stone façade continues the immediate context of the city block. Along the Frauentorgraben, where the building faces the old city center, the volume meets the modest height of adjacent buildings. Meanwhile, the tower overlooking the central station matches the stature of the newly built Tafelhofpalais commercial development across Bahnhofsplatz.
The new building, together with Tafelhofpalais, flanks the historic central station with an enlivened façade and creates a new urban foyer for commuters passing through central Nuremberg.