igus Headquarters   Cologne, Germany

Grimshaw was commissioned to create an innovative and striking headquarters to raise the profile of igus as well as accommodating its essential needs for a factory, warehouse, testing facility and offices at low cost.

 

This is achieved through a building that offers flexible use, composed of four sections each supported by a series of tension rods suspended from distinctive yellow pylons.

A primary structural grid of 11.25 x 11.25 m underpins each section, with principal services suspended from the roof to allow clear spans of floors and walls.

Overhead, large roof domes aid ventilation, introduce natural light and are designed to collapse under intense heat, preventing serious damage to the steel structure in the case of a fire.

The distinctive façade is formed from a standardised and fully interchangeable cladding system of panels, windows, doors and loading bays that are fixed to standard metal Unistrut sections from which any internal equipment can be attached.

The office pods rest on air cushions and can be moved over a weekend, with their splayed feet spreading their load, avoiding the need for localised foundations. Each pod has its own services box, which can be plugged into the building's overall system through flexible ducts.

Sometimes I walk through our factory in the evenings thinking: ‘It’s like being in a cathedral.

Günther Blasé, Executive Director, Igus

Location
Cologne, Germany

Project Type
Industry →

Client
Igus

Area
18,850 sq m

Status
Complete

Year
2000

Photography
Jo Reid & John Peck/ John Linden