Mustergarten Godelmann

A Garden of Concrete Delights

Factory landscapes inherently present a unique challenge when it comes to architecturally sophisticated solutions. This is especially true when the high design standards of a client, a renowned manufacturer of innovative concrete products, are to be realized, as the building and its surrounding landscape design also serve as a benchmark for their brand. Therefore, when planning the company's new branch, the client and architect took an unconventional approach: Architects and landscape architects collaborated to develop a concept that subtly incorporates the site's specific characteristics and gives it a distinctive identity. The building, housing the branch's offices and training rooms, stands as a clearly defined cube on a solid concrete base. The exterior walls consist of precast, anthracite-colored, insulated concrete panels, the exposed concrete ceilings are made of gray cast-in-place concrete, and the floors are polished cement screed. The recessed glass facade opens onto the covered terrace and the garden, seamlessly blending the interior and exterior spaces. To showcase the company’s technical expertise in the development and production of high-quality concrete paving units as well as the capabilities to manufacture bespoke elements, GROS. MAX.  designed the surrounding open space and developed a series of concrete structures. These include two large water-features, steps, edging, as well as a 25 meter long ‘concrete hedge’, composed of thin angled modules. The surrounding open space reinforces the building's striking presence and further develops the design concept. The adjacent, busy highway becomes the backdrop for a staged display in which the "concrete hedge" serves as an unusual point of reference. Another area is reserved for a more traditional show garden with rotating product presentations.