Office Building "The Squaire" (Air-Rail Center), Frankfurt
New Work City

Architecture and Interior design: Design of areas (with Walter Musacchi)
Client: IVG Immobilien AG
Design Concept: 2010

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the symbol of Frankfurt’s cultural identity, is the base for the new concept with his visit to Italy and his romantic longing for Italy.

Architecture as landscape:

Labyrinth and staging
Not only the desire for the Mediterranean, but also for a "sanctuary" is to be fullfilled; perhaps as some a kind of maze (in abstract form), as these were quite common in Italy during the Renaissance (EMO Villa, Veneto). But what is meant here is a maze in terms of the "individual", his protection and a kind of "sanctuary". One very interesting aspect of the Mediterranean is that the landscape is perceived as natural (i.e. without human intervention), but has actually been artificially designed by people with its terraces and plantings.

In places like the inside courtyards of the ARC the artificiality of nature is carried even further by staging it - but this staging has to be carefully planned, since this accentuates the place and distinguishes it from other ones.

By the way it is composed, this staging aids in orientation and to find the entrances in an otherwise smooth and regular room.