Schüco Welcome Forum

Bielefeld

2022

The Schüco Welcome Forum is not an entirely new building, but a transformation of two existing former storehouses on the company’s campus in the city of Bielefeld, Germany. It will perform as a showroom and serve visitors as well as employees with spaces for communication and relaxation.
Schüco Welcome Forum, Exterior

North Facade. Visualization. Competition, 2018

Schüco Welcome Forum. Screen
Schüco Welcome Forum. Entrance

The former pragmatic appearance of the building was carefully developed into a more elaborate and even festive appearance. While the reuse of existing structures and materials provides a clear link to the history of the site, their transformation responds to the need for new functions and contemporary aesthetics.

Schüco Welcome Forum. Machinery Hall. Exterior

Context

Schüco Welcome Forum. Figure Ground

Schüco Welcome Forum. Figure Ground Diagram

A new campus in an industrial landscape

The volume of the building is generally determined by the size of the existing former warehouses. This means that its footprint corresponds to the comparatively large buildings in the surrounding area. In order to increase the necessary areas, but also to refine the relationship of the building to its surroundings, we have added explicitly shaped extensions.

The Radiant Foyer

Schüco Welcome Forum, 360°

360° Foyer

Visitors at the heart of the customer experience

The foyer is located in the center of the building, not at its perimeter. This change in typology allows for a very rich circular experience of all the functions that are now located around the spectator: in a 360° “pan-shot” the view opens towards the showroom, a lounge and presentation-area, a so-called “news room”, that offers insights in the history of schüco, and – most important – the café.

Schüco Welcome Forum. Foyer
Schüco Welcome Forum. Foyer
Schüco Welcome Forum. Skylight
Schüco Welcome Forum. Wardrobe

The comparably unusual atmosphere of the interior arises from the spatial translation of a controlled, dynamised formal language that combines the curvilinear geometries of the contemporary digital architectural avant-garde with the orthogonal basic geometry of the existing buildings.

On the basis of such a disciplined sculptural language of form, the Welcome Forum appears simultaneously exciting and sophisticated, but also appropriate, pragmatic and down-to-earth. Its interior shows carefully composed spatial sequences and visual connections that go beyond the pure interior space as they extend to the exterior of the building.

A generously designed staircase leads up to the gallery, which on the one hand gives the sales rooms on the upper floor peace and quiet and the best possible view of the machine hall, and on the other hand allows for new perspectives between visitors and presentations.

Schüco Welcome Forum. Café

Schüco Welcome Forum. Café
Schüco Welcome Forum. Café, Tresen
Schüco Welcome Forum, Presentation Lounge
Schüco Welcome Forum, fabrication

Date

2018 - 2022

Place

Bielefeld, Germany

Size

4650 m²

Client

Schüco International KG

Status

Built. 1. Prize, invited competition entry

Team

Daniela Hake

Holger Hoffmann

Hans-Peter Nünning

Jan Hafner

Richard Haverland

Matthias Lehner

Annika Porschen

Maurice Spohn

Charlotte Walter

Nicolas Weber

Partner Customer Experience

Partner Structural Design

Partner Light-Design

Partner Fire Protection

Prime Contractor

Visualization

Photos

Roland Borgmann

Schüco Welcome Forum. Northfacade
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