Mannheim, Germany
The department store for the retail chain Peek & Cloppenburg is designed to respond to Mannheim’s historic city grid and to provide a state-of-the-art landmark within the cityscape. It is prominently located on one of the city’s main thoroughfares, between Stephanienstraße and Kufürstenstraße on the Boulevard Planken. Two blocks to the north and west lies the highly formalized urban fabric of Paradeplatz, located at the intersection of Kurpfalzstraße and Boulevard Planken (which are in effect the primary north-south and east-west axes of the Baroque city). The building’s curved front façade cantilevers subtly into the space of the pedestrian zone, strengthening the presence of Peek & Cloppenburg along this major pedestrian and shopping axis. The building’s exterior is marked by the juxtaposition of two principal elements: a light, transparent curtain wall along the retail areas and a group of massive core towers clad in Roman travertine housing vertical circulation and mechanical supply. A three-story glass enclosure cantilevers from the building’s main volume and seemingly floats above Boulevard Planken. Bands of translucent glass brise-soleil line the top floor, creating an airy roof structure. The building interacts with its urban environment through a series of subtle volumetric modifications. In consideration of the height of adjacent buildings, the penthouse is stepped back. The highly transparent features of the building reinforce the public space, the flow of which extends the public realm into the semi-public. This extension culminates within a cantilevered screen reflecting the activities of the sidewalk and the marketplace within. The space includes five retail floors and an administrative penthouse. A cylindrical skylight features a gnomon element to create a shadow in the manner of a sundial for a continuous light display.
优质零售目的地成为曼海姆市的独特焦点。
这家德国主要零售品牌的百货公司位于曼海姆主干道之一的显眼地段，位于普朗肯大道上的斯蒂芬尼斯特拉塞和库弗斯滕斯特拉塞之间。建筑体量的微妙体积修改创造了与其城市环境的和谐对话，而建筑弯曲的正面立面的动态姿态为 Peek & Cloppenburg 沿着这条主要的步行和购物轴线建立了引人注目的存在。
考虑到相邻建筑物的高度，该建筑的顶层公寓向后退了一步，这种对环境的敏感性在整个设计过程中都很明显。该建筑的外观以两个主要元素的并置为标志：包围零售空间的轻盈透明幕墙，以及一组巨大的核心塔楼，覆盖着罗马石灰华，其中包含垂直循环和机械系统。半透明玻璃遮阳板带排列在顶层，营造出通风的屋顶结构。该建筑的内部包括一个圆锥形天窗，该天窗具有日晷元素，以日晷的方式产生阴影，在下面的空间中创造出生动的光影效果。
一座三层高的玻璃围护结构从建筑的主体空间悬挑而出，看似漂浮在普朗肯大道之上。这种建筑姿态通过同时反映人行道和内部市场的活动，将内部零售空间与外部公共空间联系起来。