Numerous new buildings in Leipzig have been given remarkable attention in the international specialist press in recent years. The striking administration building for KPMG by the Frankfurt architects Schneider & Schumacher is one of them. On an acute-angled corner plot, the architects have built a glass edifice, which contrasts strongly with the surrounding "Wilhelminian-style” buildings. Although it follows the existing building line and the height of the eaves, the building radiates restraint on the one hand, yet on the other, makes a clear statement at the corner without being obtrusive.
The staircase, open towards the atrium, projects slightly beyond the façade, thus unpretentiously indicating the entrance. Also inside the building, the architecture is restricted to the background by the use of a clear and limited choice of materials. The bright red carpeting has a stimulating and communicative effect.
At twilight, passers-by are treated to a special experience when the floodlit floors radiate crystalline beams into the night sky.
Please join us on our DVD on our walk through this faszinating building..
MDR-TV-Centre
Kantstr. 71/73 04275 Leipzig 1886 - 1888 A.: Hugo Licht (slaughterhouse) Rebuilding 1993 - 1996 by Gerd Heise, HPP, New TV-Centre 1997 - 2000 by Architektengruppe Gondesen Piachnow Staack (GPS) with Struhk & Partner
In a completely different but no less spectacular way, at the end of the 1990's, the “Architektengruppe GPS” in co-operation with Struhk & Partner integrated the Central German Radio TV- and Administration Centre into the former slaughterhouse.
About one third of approx. 30 historic brick-built buildings could be preserved and assigned to other applications, one such example being the old stock exchange with its trading hall styled after an Italian Renaissance court.
The building of the newly built TV- and administration department with its elliptical form is reminiscent of a television set. Studios and production rooms are accommodated in the main building.
At the beginning of the 1990s, the decision in favour of new exhibition grounds outside the city limits had more than just a symbolic significance for Leipzig's upturn as a city of trade fairs and exhibitions. With their great glass-and-steel entrance hall, the architects von Gerkan Marg + Partner of Hamburg take up the theme of the monumental arches of the Leipzig central station.
The hall serves both as a centre, a traffic junction and a place to rest one’s feet. From here, via glazed covered walkways, the visitor can reach the current five exhibition halls with more than 100.000 m² of exhibition space.
The hall's supporting structure comprises ten external arch-shaped trusses. In summer, the glass roof can be cooled on the south side by a curtain of water, which evaporates as it flows downwards.
The discrete layout of the open spaces, which have a very soothing and harmonising effect, has also proved successful.
Airport Leipzig/Halle
Terminalring 11 04435 Flughafen Leipzig/Halle 1997 - 2003
A.: AP Brunnert und Partner
The fair visitors are not the only ones to benefit from optimum traffic links. The settlement of production and service companies in the northern area of Leipzig was only made possible by building the new Leipzig-Halle airport. Here, three traffic networks meet: the A14 motorway, the new main-line rail track and, of course, the airlines.
A bridge-like mall with travelators connects the check-in area with terminal B. The six-storey car park is laid out in parallel.
Trend-setting architecture from Leipzig? The new building of the Porsche Service Centre with associated final assembly production also belongs to this category.
Again it is Volkwin Marg from gmp architects of Hamburg who with the Diamond has designed a building full of symbolism for the customers of the automobile specialist from Stuttgart. A cone resting on its top not only serves as land mark, by its expressive form it also embodies the fusion of emotion and technology characteristic of products from Porsche.
High-quality materials, both outside and inside, elegance and an appropriate degree of understatement provide enough food "for the stuff dreams are made of".
Thus stimulated, the Porsche customer has earned himself culinary refreshment in the restaurant of the Customer Service Centre, with a view over the endurance and road-testing track.
The myth of Porsche. An ever-changing vehicle exhibition offers insights into the successful history of the company.
Experience a round-trip through this faszinating building and observe porsche-vehicles on the endurance and road-testing track.
A factory in the green field. A street with but one house number: No. 1, BMW Alley. In May 2005, the most modern BMW Works based on a completely new concept was opened here.
The central building virtually plays a mediation roll as a link between three production shops. It serves as communication turntable between production and administration. Every vehicle passes this area several times on its way from the body shop, to the paint shop and finally to the assembly hall.The internationally renowned Bureau Zaha Hadid Architects of London were the winners of an international design competition against 23 invited competitors.
› These page numbers
reflect to the book „LEIPZIG Architektur von der Romanik bis zur Gegenwart“
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