The Hive by Henning Larsen

The Henning Larsen office is responsible for the new business property “THE HIVE” in Munich’s up-and-coming Berg am Laim district. The signature of the office founded by the “Master of Light” is unmistakable.

Berg am Laim is a Munich district on the upswing and has undergone a profound transformation in recent years that continues to this day. First mentioned in the ninth century, the historic suburb of the Bavarian capital benefited from its fortunate location above a fertile tongue of clay. This was not only to provide fertile soil, but also, spurred on by the onset of the industrial revolution, to help the local brick production boom. Today, bricks from Berg am Laim can be found in large parts of Munich’s city center, most prominently in the Frauenkirche, for example. At the end of the 20th century, when the last industrial chimney in Berg am Laim had long since gone out, the largest party and event area in Europe was created here on around nine hectares of land belonging to a former potato processor. Since then, Berg am Laim has been home to some of the most exciting urban development projects in the Bavarian capital. In addition to the hip cultural and commercial center “Werksviertel”, as the former party area is now called, the recently completed creative quarter “Die Macherei” with its mix of office, hotel, retail and restaurant space is particularly eye-catching.

Just around the corner, a short walk from both the Werksviertel and the Macherei, is one of the latest development projects in Berg am Laim: “THE HIVE”, a business property that lays claim to premium status in terms of architecture, materiality and design, and underlines this with the choice of architects. Henning Larsen’s signature is unmistakable in the building design as soon as you enter the building, as he is known to have placed great value on a finely balanced relationship between light and space during his lifetime. With THE HIVE, the Copenhagen office leaves nothing to chance in either respect, leaving no ray of sunlight unthought of and no cubic centimetre unused. It may be driven by a certain Scandinavian longing for warmth and brightness, as people in the north are forced to make careful use of the available hours of sunshine: Every detail in THE HIVE is designed to create a cozy lighting atmosphere. This is evidenced not only by the floor-to-ceiling windows, which allow maximum daylight into the building, but also by the color scheme and surface finish of the accent elements such as panels and window frames. They emphasize the warm overall impression of the natural interior lighting concept and create a constantly changing, subtle play of light with golden reflections in the interior throughout the day. This is emphasized by the office areas on all sides with window fronts in all directions. Stairwells and sanitary facilities are concentrated in the middle of the floor plan, allowing the office areas to be flooded with light all around.

At THE HIVE, Henning Larsen placed particular emphasis on offering the greatest possible degree of spatial design freedom in order to implement individual office solutions and, if necessary, to be able to react flexibly to changing business situations. After all, the feel-good factor in the office is becoming increasingly important, as it is now competing more and more with your own living room. An excellently designed office concept can also tip the scales in the search for highly qualified personnel. THE HIVE takes these facts fully into account, with a floor plan that places as few restrictions as possible on the design options of future users and allows for all kinds of modern office concepts, from individual offices to open creative landscapes. In addition, open spaces are seamlessly integrated into the spatial concept on and around the building. While the inner courtyard on the first floor is ideal for integrating a restaurant, among other things, the higher floors have terraces that can be individually designed. Finally, the roof garden, which can also be customized, offers green retreats with far-reaching views over Munich.

In terms of energy, THE HIVE is designed according to the latest state of the art. Despite being connected to the city’s district heating network, THE HIVE is equipped with a water-to-water heat pump that regulates the building’s temperature. The district heating is then only required during temperature peaks. Because current weather forecasts are also taken into account when regulating the flow temperature, the temperature of the building can also be controlled particularly proactively and efficiently. Heating and cooling energy is supplied to the rooms via concrete core activation and optionally via additional ceiling sails, whose connections are already pre-installed. Thermal insulation glazing ensures that the interior spaces do not heat up excessively even in summer, despite the generous window areas. Aspects of the sustainable concept at THE HIVE can also be seen in initially inconspicuous details, such as the facility management’s e-service tractor. The area surrounding THE HIVE offers numerous options for getting to and from the building by public transport. The two train stations Berg am Laim and München Ost are just a few minutes away on foot or, if you want to travel a little faster, by bus. From there, it’s just a stone’s throw to destinations such as the city center, the main train station or Munich Airport. The numerous dining and shopping options in the Werksviertel and Macherei districts are also within easy walking distance – for lunch breaks, for example.

More information about The Hive can be found on the project website.

Pictures: Dominik Baur-Callwey