January 28, 2020

Adidas World of Sports Arena by Behnisch Architekten: 2019 Best of Year Winner for Creative Office

All in. Behnisch Architekten partner Stefan Rappold applied that company slogan to this new office and reception building, creating Adidas World of Sports Arena, a landmark on the Adidas campus in Herzogenaurach, Germany. All in is the steel-and-concrete construction on slanted steel supports containing 560,000 square feet and 2,000 employees. Inside, the design is based on the tenets of transparency, outdoor connection, interaction, and innovation. Those are immediately apparent in the atrium, where a dramatic black floating staircase rises through the center. It’s the main circulation route to the three workplace floors, providing views across the interior as well as outside along the way. This being Germany, environmental concerns were key. For heat-gain and light control, the facade boasts a custom system of opaque and perforated metal sheets mounted on an aluminum frame that adapts to the orientation of each elevation. Plus, there’s extensive use of recyclable materials. Further proof that this project is all in: It’s awaiting LEED Gold certification.

Adidas World of Sports Arena by Behnisch Architekten. Photography by David Matthiessen.
Adidas World of Sports Arena by Behnisch Architekten. Photography by David Matthiessen.
Adidas World of Sports Arena by Behnisch Architekten. Photography by David Matthiessen.
Adidas World of Sports Arena by Behnisch Architekten. Photography by David Matthiessen.
Adidas World of Sports Arena by Behnisch Architekten. Photography by David Matthiessen.

Project Team: Stefan Behnisch; Cornelia Wust; Nadine Hoss; Carina Steidele; Dennis Wirth; Nevyana Tomeva; Martin Buchall; Jorge Carvajal; Laetitia Pierlot; Saori Yamane; Adriana Potlog; Ioana Fagarasan; Anna-Lena Wörn; Abdalrahman Alshorafa; Arlette Haker; Hamdy Saflo; Matteo Cavalli; Mahboubeh Shoeybi; Andreas Peyker; Nadine Waldmann.

> See more from the December/January 2020 issue of Interior Design

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