The impressive main entrance of the Lufthansa Aviation Center, designed by Christoph Ingenhoven, showcasing a contemporary design that emphasizes openness and accessibility.
The impressive main entrance of the Lufthansa Aviation Center, designed by Christoph Ingenhoven, showcasing a contemporary design that emphasizes openness and accessibility.
Transparency, Communication, and Cosmopolitanism
With its transparent design, the Lufthansa head office reflects the open-mindedness and global outlook of one of Germany's most renowned companies. Christoph Ingenhoven's design has garnered numerous awards, including the 2008 RIBA award, the International Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, and an EU GreenBuilding partnership certificate. This solution by the Düsseldorf-based architectural firm harmonizes ecological construction with elegant office design, befitting Lufthansa's stature.
The project’s primary challenge was to create a high-quality, communicative office environment while insulating it from its busy surroundings. Proximity to Frankfurt Airport, Lufthansa's key transport hub, offers excellent connectivity but also significant noise and pollution. The architects responded with a 180-meter-long, 90-meter-wide building resembling a double-sided comb with ten "teeth," where gardens between the "teeth" shield the offices from noise. These offices and gardens are topped with sleek concrete and glass roofs.
Each of the 1,850 office workspaces enjoys views of landscaped gardens and natural ventilation. The garden designs represent typical landscapes from five continents, symbolizing Lufthansa's global reach—from a white sandy beach to the Australian outback and a Japanese Zen garden. Accessible to staff for relaxation or small meetings, these gardens also act as heat and sound buffers, enhancing the microclimate.
