Double-X

Laid upon one another, the two halves of the office building in Hamburg’s Heidenkampsweg form a Double-X. The unusual building form is not merely attractive, it also enables a particularly economical use of the building. The concept, for which the building won the first prize in an architectural competition, is based upon an inner, twelve-storey building, with a Double-X shaped floor plan, enclosed within a glass envelope. Six twelve-storey, triangular wintergardens, appear to visually extend the streetscape. Every office is located directly adjacent to one of these wintergardens. Both halves of the building are connected by four additional Mediterranean gardens, almost seven metre high, which have individual themes, planted with magnolias, bamboo, azaleas, and lemon trees. Each of the X’s has a service core, with stair towers, lifts, toilets and ancilliary functions, at it’s crossing point. From here, the individual offices can be accessed, 72 office units each 220 square metres large. Due to their glass skin, the offices do not require air conditioning. The buffer zones between both of the facades reduce the effect of external conditions such as rain, wind, noise and internal emissions, as well as enabling external sunscreens throughout the 48 metre high building. Through these measures, the heating costs are reduced by around 50%.