Best Workspaces Award 2022 - SIP Scootershop nominated

Created by Dietrich Limper at 15:10 on October 22, 2021

We are proud and happy that our company headquarters has been nominated for the 1st international architecture award for intelligent working environments: Best Workspaces 2022. An independent jury of experts, network decision-makers, planners and manufacturers will decide on the award in spring 2022. In the following, we would like to tell you how the new building came about, how the collaboration with the architects went and which decisions led to the current appearance of the SIP Scootershop headquarters.

PLANNING

Our old company headquarters in the Graf-Zeppelin-Street were already threatening to burst at the seams in 2014. The building had become too small for both the goods and the almost 100 employees. Alex and Ralf decided to build a completely new building. After having had good experiences with the architectural firm Ott from Augsburg, they agreed to tackle this project with the same people as well. Ralf remembers: "We already realized our first building 20 years ago with the architects from Ott. And since that worked out very well, it was logical for us to plan the new building with Ott again."

After a site was found, the planning phase began with many intensive discussions. The demands of the two clients were special, as Alex reports: "We need an architecture that perfectly reflects our operations and processes. On the other hand: Vespa is art. Riding a scooter is more than just transportation, and from that point of view, a building is also more than just a rain shelter for us. It was important to us that the building also had a claim to art."

How did architects Wolfgang Ott and Peter Greggenhofer deal with this brief? How did they develop their initial concepts? Wolfgang Ott describes the brainstorming process: "A thirst for freedom, a love of detail, an appetite for the unconventional and a soft spot for technology are all part of SIP's corporate identity, which we translated into corporate architecture with our building concept. The challenge was to bridge the gap between the highly efficient logistics hall and the cool vibe of the Vespa lifestyle."

It took nearly two years for the Vespa geeks and the industrial and commercial building specialists to agree on a design. The heart of the project was, of course, to be the 3,260 square meter warehouse and shipping department. Connected to it the representative flagship store and a real unique selling point: the Siperia, an Italian café, restaurant and bar. Above it, on the second floor, the spacious office and conference rooms. "The goal was for us to have a building calling card," Alex says. "We don't sell parts, we sell emotions. And the building should also exude emotion. It has to fit us and have a personality."

The SIP Scootershop headquarters as designed by Ott Architects.

CONSTRUCTION

The groundbreaking ceremony finally took place in May 2015 and the topping-out ceremony was celebrated in September. The materials used were concrete, wood, glass and metal. What criteria were used to select the building materials? How do you reconcile the seemingly contradictory materials? What is the philosophy behind them? Architect Wolfgang Ott describes the concept: "Untreated materials like Corten steel, exposed concrete and wood form the natural framework of the functional and efficient spatial concept. Seven-meter-high Corten steel slats in front of the glass facade on the upper floor mark the entrance area, visible from afar, and create an interesting interplay of light and shadow. Exposed concrete and Corten steel also continue inside, creating exciting contrasts with the warm wood tone of the custom-made oak furniture. Bold wall prints, flea market kilims and industrial lighting add highlights."

And Ralf had perfection down to the last corner in mind: "Many companies have impressive entrance halls and reception areas. But the further you go into the building, the more unspectacular the interior becomes. Our requirement was that the locker room for warehouse employees be just as stylishly furnished as the offices."

Wolfgang Ott describes the essence of the interior design: "The Vespa lifestyle can be felt everywhere, right down to the last detail. The raw materials left in place and the modular layout on the Open Plan floor plan make the entire office extremely robust and highly flexible. The open, spacious areas offer maximum transparency and manage to fuel internal team communication. Large window openings on the interior allow for a relaxing view of the outdoors, while generous wooden window frames also form seating areas for in-between."

Current EnEV regulations were to be significantly undercut. A groundwater heat pump uses energy from the ground. Underfloor heating in all areas uses low energy, and all glazing and windows in the building are triple-paned. State-of-the-art LED technology provides lighting that automatically adjusts to daylight. Energy-intensive ventilation and air conditioning should be avoided, as should building materials that have to be delivered from far away. Electricity requirements will be covered by electricity generated from 100 % hydropower. Sustainability and climate neutrality should not just be empty words and buzzwords for SIP Scootershop.

All these projects were implemented by March 2016 and the move took place in many night shifts with the help of the great employees. Architect Ott takes stock: "The result is a high-quality building that makes the industrial charm with the corresponding quality of work and stay tangible for employees and customers." SIP TV Video of the Grand Opening 2016.

Wood, concrete and glass create a real vintage atmosphere in the offices.

THE AWARD

Peter Greggenhofer is also satisfied with the work and aptly describes the workspace: "Riding a scooter as a way of life is an integral part of the corporate culture here. With our concept, we have translated this into the appropriate corporate architecture. Wooden furniture combined with exposed concrete, corten steel combined with vintage interiors. Open spaces offer room to stay. For example, the large wooden window frames invite people to settle down."

The company building from SIP Scootershop has been attracting a lot of attention for more than five years, even beyond Landsberg. Newspaper articles and radio reports have been created around the headquarters. The nomination for the "Best Workspaces 2022" award has everyone involved excited: "This award would be the icing on the cake for us," says Ralf, looking out of the window of his office on the second floor. He points to the Siperia: "Our bar and restaurant is one of my favorite places in the building because guests, customers and employees meet there. It's a place for lively interaction and togetherness."

Best Workspaces is the 1st international architecture award for intelligent working environments. Callwey, Baumeister, USM and Colliers International Germany bring together the best projects, which are judged both digitally and live by an independent jury of experts and network decision-makers, planners and manufacturers. The website says: "The vision behind bestworkspaces.com is to present the best and internationally pioneering space concepts on one platform. These are determined by an independent architecture competition. An international jury of experts evaluates the submitted projects based on predefined criteria to ensure maximum transparency. The results are published in a high-quality publication and online. The Workspace of the Year and the Solutions of the Year are presented at a ceremony. The featured projects and products are placed in a solution-oriented, architectural and design context and supplemented with information on products."

Callwey is the leading publisher in the fields of architecture, crafts, garden design and lifestyle. As an independent family business and modern media house, it creates worlds of experience for its readers with its brands. Whether it's a book, magazine or holistic media solution, Callwey uses its subject expertise to design special content for its customers.

The award will be presented in March 2022. Keep your fingers crossed!

All photos: David Matthiessen

Dietrich Limper
Dietrich Limper

Dietrich Limper works as an editor for SIP Scootershop and also writes for local and national publications. When he's not geocaching, he enjoys the amazing antics of Bayer Leverkusen.

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