Only two façade elements (recessed windows and slanted Dekton panels) create variety

Representative, modern and highly functional, the new office and seminar building offers plenty of space for innovation, research and education. It occupies a central position in the Science Park, which is being built on a vacated barracks site in Osnabrück's Westerberg district. MAS architectuur from the Netherlands, with the support of the German planners from HOFF und Partner, created a varied façade with minimal stylistic devices.

Around 160 hectares of former military land have been reurbanised in Osnabrück since 2009 - a challenge and a huge opportunity for the city with around 170,000 inhabitants. Within walking distance of the college and university, particularly forward-looking, innovative institutions, companies and start-ups are to settle. A new four-storey building with 8,000 square metres of flexible rental space and underground parking has now been created for them.

"The U-shaped office and seminar building opens up to the street with its attractively designed inner courtyard. The bright façade with floor-to-ceiling windows has a very exclusive, modern look," Gerwin Tornij explains the design with which MAS architektuur won the tender. "Inside, there are only a few static fixed points. Hollow floors with lots of technical pre-fittings give the tenants freedom in designing the floor plans and workplaces."

"We wanted to achieve a maximum effect with minimal means," says architect Gerwin Tornij. "The façade consists of transparent and opaque elements in only two widths, which we arranged differently. The windows are set back. The light-coloured cladding adjoins them at a shallow angle - sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right. The opposite reveal and the horizontally continuous floor plate have a warm bronze tone. Thus the façade appears valuable, varied and slightly different from every viewing direction."

"The curtain wall is very energy-efficient. The rainwater downpipes are a special feature," says Stefan Bobermin of HOFF und Partner, "They are concealed behind the façade in the open spaces created by the elements arranged at angles." When choosing the cladding, building approvals and short delivery times were a prerequisite, as the building was to be completed quickly. In addition, the client wanted a permanently aesthetic, low-maintenance and sustainable surface, as the property was to remain owner-occupied and easily lettable in the long term. "So our recommendation fell on the large-format Dekton panels from Cosentino."

Dekton consists of natural and recycled mineral particles that are compacted and sintered with high pressure and heat. The homogeneous material is completely inorganic, UV-, colour- and shape-stable. It is cold-, heat- and fire-resistant and, for façades, comes with an integrated glass fibre net to prevent falls due to breakage. The non-porous surface is scratch and stain resistant, even graffiti can be easily removed. In addition, Dekton is CO2 -neutral over the entire life cycle and fully recyclable.

In Cosentino's Spanish factory, the 12 mm thick Dekton panels were cut to size up to 320 cm x 80 cm according to the façade planning and the edges were machined. In addition, undercut holes were drilled to securely fasten the cladding to the façade's substructure on site, invisibly from the outside, using special anchors. This so-called DKT1 system is certified according to ETA 14/0413 and BBA 16/534 for Dekton panels and enables flexible façade design.

The turnkey construction was managed and implemented by a general contractor, the implementation planning was done by Beichler + Rohr. The first tenants were able to move in after only 16 months of construction. "We are very satisfied," says Gerwin Tornij of MAS architektuur about the realised project. "The light colour of Dekton Aeris and the grey of Dekton Crete at the base of the building harmonise well and have a fresh, modern look. The façade also offers a different image from all viewing directions - this dynamic effect is just great!"