The Q1 office building, which forms the heart of the new ThyssenKrupp Quartier, is located in the middle of downtown Essen. Up to 54 metres high, it is taller than any other building on the campus yet without dominating them. With its large panoramic windows, the Q1 expresses corporate culture as well as transparency and openness. The impression of transparency is reinforced by the windows’ structure without frame or divider. From the outside it looks like a single oversized glass cube.

The architects call this shape “the geometric articulation of different volumes around a common centre”.

The lack of frame or sash bar on the windows gives the initial impression that the panoramic windows consist of a single giant panel.

The atrium of the main Q1 building is the heart of the ThyssenKrupp campus. The 25 metre wide and 28 metre high windows open up the view into the interior space from the south and north. The inside of the building is characterized by a succession of exciting rooms around the glazed atrium that forms its centre.

High performance solar control glass Pilkington Suncool™ 70/40 was selected for the L-shaped facade components of the building. The glass reduces the overheating of the office space and at the same time reduces the glare effect.

The sun shading system plays a big part to the building’s energy consumption, protecting from overheating still allowing a large amount of natural light in the interior space.

The sense and purpose of glass facades, however, is to be able to enjoy the unobstructed view of the outside as often as possible and solar control glass offers the only transparent sun protection. Good solar control glass not only combines high light transmission with effective sun protection. At the same time, it guarantees good thermal insulation.

The wide use of glazing gives an impression of space, providing the greatest possible amount of natural light and therefore a bright and friendly working atmosphere.

ThyssenKrupp Quartier offers space for work, free time and culture.

Photography: © ThyssenKrupp

More information: http://www.thyssenkrupp.com/quartier/