The headquarter of logistics company DB Schenker in Essen was built in 2016 and is located next to Essen main station in the heart of the city. The building was designed to meet the individual needs of the sole user, DB Schenker AG, and is the result of a detailed and extensive investor competition. The unusual cubature of “The Grid” consists of two x-shaped dotted buildings and a gross floor area of 31,000 sq. metres, distributed over eight floors. It offers space for 900 workplaces. Two underground car park levels provide more than 200 parking spaces. The complex asserts itself in its exposed position and its urban appearance is as plausible as it is formative. The special shape of the floor plan allows for inner courtyards shielded from traffic noise and flexible use of space. The connecting foyer on the ground floor provides employees with direct access to the two cores equipped with elevators and stairs. In addition, the conference rooms and the company restaurant were arranged here. The outer skin of the building consists of an elementary light metal facade, whose horizontal and vertical structure, together with the unusual floor plan, gives the building its striking appearance. The project developed by KÖLBL KRUSE was awarded the DGNB Platinum Certificate due to its excellent degree of fulfilment in terms of energy balance.
