Kirsch Pharma HealthCare

In addition to an efficient state‐of‐the‐art factory, the brief was to design a reception and office area that would articulate the company’s ethos and identity. The site of German‐based Kirsch Pharma HealthCare’s new factory and headquarters is a somewhat anonymous industrial zone without distinctive contextual cues. The architecture firm approached the project with the understanding that a meaningful architectural response to this environment would require a building that stood as a sculptural object in the landscape, making a strong architectural statement that imparted a sense of presence and identity in its own right. Kirsch Pharma HealthCare specialises in the production of finished pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements (oral dosage forms) for the pharmaceutical, nutritional, biotechnology, veterinary and cosmetic industries. The design of the factory building was dictated largely by functional requirements and consists of a simple rectangular structure clad with light grey steel cassette walls forming a skirt or slightly projecting section of façade under which slips a layer of graphite grey-coloured trapezoidal sheeting. This façade treatment creates a sense of lightness to what would otherwise appear monolithic, while dramatically incised lines across the façade’s surface further break up its mass. The factory’s positioning was carefully considered to allow room for future growth and expansion. The angular, faceted shape of the canopy, which wraps around the translucent triple-glazed glass curtain walling, translates elements of the company’s brand identity and logo while borrowing from its colour palette, complementing and advancing its corporate identity with its landmark quality. Its swooping angular lines echo the incised lines of the factory building, which serves to unify the two buildings. The dynamic, technologically inspired, futuristic form of the canopy conveys a sense of speed, confidence and innovation while the transparent curtain walling allows the building to glow invitingly like a jewel in the landscape in the dull grey environment and weather. The canopy articulates the advanced, progressive technological component of Kirsch Pharma HealthCare’s activities, while the interior conveys the humanity and nurturing aspect of its mission. The contrast between the canopy’s outer shell, in graphite grey-coloured zinc cladding and the red powder-coated custom-made aluminium soffit (which extends indoors and runs through the foyer to form a feature backdrop wall for the reception counter towards the rear of room) emphasises the warm and inviting quality of the interiors, imparting a conscious experience in visitors of being invited into Kirsch Pharma HealthCare’s world. The interior spaces of the office building are flexible, allowing the foyer and boardrooms to function as an event space when the company holds client receptions or other events. The fact that the office building is outward looking, as opposed to the generally inward‐looking factory buildings, also sets it apart.