Basler Securitas

Bad Homburg, Germany

 

The site is located in the immediate vicinity of the train station as well as Bad Homburg's city center. The building is divided into two cubic structures of almost equal size, which are connected by a transparent, bridge-like intermediate structure. The main entrance is oriented towards Basler Straße. An appropriate entrance hall provides access to a conference zone and a staff restaurant on the first floor. Open staircases provide the connection to the upper floors. A meeting point is located at each level of these stairs as a link between movement and communication. The basic idea of the design is to create light-flooded and flexibly usable office spaces with a maximum of working quality. For this reason, the building structures are given a light-colored natural stone façade with generous window openings in a uniform arrangement. A special feature of the office spaces is a concrete core temperature control system with air as the transport medium, which simultaneously activates the storage effect of the solid building components and supplies the rooms with fresh air. The workplaces of the building are arranged in the organizational forms of individual, combined and open-plan offices. To improve internal communication, the kitchenettes and mail rooms are designed as lounge-like spaces. At the central points of each building, seating, counter-like tables and a kitchenette are grouped around an open staircase as a connection between the levels. This "meeting point" is highlighted with special materials for the floor and ceiling. Furniture sits on a parquet floor whose wood tone is echoed in the surfaces of the cabinets and tables. Colored acoustic slats on the ceiling and colored surfaces on walls and tables create a pleasant atmosphere. The entrance hall and meeting points were designed by the artist Jan Albers. His colored silhouettes cover the glass walls of the entrance hall and various furniture surfaces.