Flexible and ergonomic office lighting with Logo S floorstanding uplights and Quadrature suspended luminaires, with couloured accenting outside. Siteco lighting solutions underline the exciting and individual building character of the Kühne + Nagel european headquarters.

Hard Casing, Soft Centre
The impressive new Kühne + Nagel construction is situated in Grasbrookhafen, a well-to-do area of Hamburg, and forms an important building block for this growing urban zone. Two three-storey angular constructions displaced at 90 degrees surround an inner courtyard and open outwards to Grasbrookhafen via a generous foyer and fenestration. The third construction unit consists of a 12-storey tower in the north-west that serves as an important urban orientation point and references the inner city. The generous atrium is the core of the building.

The formation of the structures creates a dialogue of opposites. The outer vertical façade of natural stone and glass orients itself as a hard casing towards the harbour city. In contrast, the inner courtyard façade gives the impression of being a soft skin. Projecting panels emphasise the horizontal aspect of the façade and round off the rectangle of the inner courtyard with its rounded corners. With its lightness and transparency the three-storey, glazed entrance area forms an interesting contrast to the disciplined stone surface of the northern façade.

Architecture And Lighting On A Human Scale
Thanks to various divisions with regard to interior design and a positve coloured ambience the architects were successful in giving each storey an individual character. An individual furniture concept was created woth moveable working surfaces and collective facilities.

Individual concepts need individual solutions: That was the reason why it was decided to choose a lighting solution with the Logo S floorstanding luminaire, developed by Jan Störmer and Siteco. Highly precise microprismatic structures create an absolutely glare-free light distribution, independently of where and how the desks and working planes are organised within the room. The organic form of the inner courtyard can be recognised in the design of the luminaire head: a symmetrical trapezoid form with rounded corners. “With the soft luminaire head form the Logo S has no rear side and therefore no stipulated positioning to the workstation. In the case of several workstations, an interesting luminaire landscape can be created," according to Jan Störmer. A combination of direct/indirect light beam distribution creates a comfortable and pleasant ambience and at the same time optimal and glare-free visual conditions for the task area. Of special interest is the fact that all Logo S luminaires are equipped with daylight sensors that switch the luminaire on or off according to brightness and required lighting levels.

For the outer areas, entrance area and inner courtyard, LED ground recessed luminaires were installed. According to requirements they illuminate with varying colour spectra and serve to direct visitors from outside into the building. The light points also offer employees looking out to the courtyard a visual teaser.

On all storeys there are conference rooms that also include luminaires with Eldacon technology. Ultra-slim Quadrature luminaires have been installed in a continuous row with a standard mounting connector. The quadrature combines an aesthetic and extremely flat appearance with a high level of state-of-the-art technology and reduces reflected glare to a minimum. The best view of the growing harbour city is to be had in the large conference room on the 11th storey with 5.8 metre high panorama windows. A giant suspended luminaire floats over the main table, resembling the hulk of a ship and custom designed by the architect.

Key Data:
Customer:   Kühne + Nagel (AG & Co.) KG, Hamburg
Architect:   Jan Störmer Partner, Hamburg
Construction Authority: Köster AG, Bielefeld
Project management:  Drees & Sommer GmbH, Hamburg   
Lighting design:  Hamburg Design GmbH, Hamburg
Installation:   Elektro Redeker, Recklinghausen
Luminaires:   
*  Logo S floor standing uplights
*  LED ground recessed luminaires
*  Quadrature

Photos:   Christoph Gebler, Hamburg