Topping-out ceremony for SOuth HOrizon Munich

Six floors, loft style, roof terraces: The Optima-Aegidius Group and Hammer AG are continuing the transformation of the former Siemens site in Obersendling with their new 31,000 square meter office building SOuth HOrizon Munich (SOHO). The new SOHO Munich building is an example of the transformation of the working-class district, where many new office and commercial spaces are currently being built all around - one of the largest development areas in Munich. The vision of the district and the future of work? Light-industrial architecture is intended to enable hybrid production spaces alongside traditional offices. The developers are also targeting biotech companies as potential tenants.

A good 1.5 years after the start of construction, the Optima-Aegidius Group and Hammer AG celebrate the topping-out ceremony for the SOuth HOrizon Munich office and commercial property in the south of Munich. From now on, the site at Koppstrasse 4 will be home to an urban office building that sees itself as a think tank and workshop. With the hybrid new build, the developers want to show what new work can look like in the age of post-Covid and post-digital bohemia - and also lay the foundations for the further cultural and economic development of the Obersendling district, where tens of thousands of Siemens employees once worked.

After the old building at Koppstrasse 4 was demolished at the beginning of 2020, the developers dug the excavation pit over the course of 2020. The six-storey shell has been completed in recent months. "Despite the coronavirus pandemic and delivery bottlenecks, we are right on schedule because we arranged the tenders and contracts in good time," says Hans Hammer, CEO of Hammer AG. The building is still covered in scaffolding and the outdoor facilities are still a construction site. But the architectural concept is already recognizable. And inside, future tenants can already get a taste of the working air of the future. The interior work is currently progressing: the floors are being laid, sanitary facilities, lighting and elevators are being installed. The fittings and materials of the office world can be experienced particularly well in the fully fitted and furnished show office in the shell of the building.

The Munich-based architecture firm OSA Ochs Schmidhuber Architekten has been won for the SOuth HOrizon project. This studio focuses on sustainable office buildings such as headquarters and office structures, as well as hotels 2.0 and urban development. Office founder Fabian Ochs explains the idea and design of SOHO Munich: "The trendy Meatpacking District in New York gave us good input for this project. There are these beautiful old industrial buildings with loft-like office structures, makerspaces, restaurants and clubs. But the surroundings here were also inspiring. The site is close to the Isar Valley Railway, which is lined with small brick-built stations. A brick façade, which is typical of the industrial style, came to mind. The SOuth HOrizon also has an 'open system' in the form of inner courtyards on the first floor that are open on two sides and can be traversed not only by users, but also by people from the neighborhood or visitors. A walk through the SOHO area will be worthwhile. Beautiful courtyards with seating steps and social islands are planned. This will also create added value for the public."

Model office opened: Home feeling meets office space

For the creators of SOuth HOrizon Munich, the working world of tomorrow is a dynamic combination of office and makerspace and looks like this in the show office: Exposed concrete, exposed supply lines on the high ceilings, black expanded metal. The rough and clear industrial appearance is contrasted by a mix of living and working ambience. Airy shelves made of wood and metal structure the spacious rooms. Warm-looking champagne-colored leather armchairs and wooden tables on high-quality carpets invite you to think and do mental work. For optimum identification with the building, tenants can also choose from various interior design lines.

New requirements for working environments

The fact that the office spaces look like a mixture of office, hotel lobby and lounge is not just for aesthetic reasons. The requirements for today's working environments have changed again with the coronavirus pandemic, lockdowns and home office solutions. Companies are aware of the role the workplace plays as a fixed point of identification, exchange and corporate culture. "Creativity and communication at work need a suitable place that provides the framework. Companies looking for office space want a new quality - not least to bring employees back to the office and to have a competitive advantage in the battle for applicants," says Hans Hammer.

The real estate experts from Munich, who implement projects worldwide, have noticed something else: "Companies need more flexibility than ever before," adds Dr. Jens Laub, CEO of the Optima Aegidius Group. This is why the loft offices with room heights of 3.30 meters and varying room depths of 13.50 to 21 meters can be designed as open spaces, as well as in the form of separate cubes or sharing zones. Two inner courtyards, which are connected by a large open staircase and allow daylight to enter all floors, ensure a pleasant atmosphere. Modern bicycle parking spaces and lockers with showers are located under the open staircase. Tenants can hold after-work meetings on the Skydeck on the fifth floor and enjoy the unobstructed view of the Alps. Another advantage of the south-facing location: if you walk a few meters, you will find the Isar meadows not far from the office quarter.

First tenants already in SOHO

A company from the aviation industry has already recognized the advantages of SOHO and has rented 5,000 square metres in the property. Another tenant is a company from the fashion industry with around 1,700 square meters. The companies are therefore among the first tenants in the new building, which will be completed this year and ready for occupation at the beginning of 2023. The makerspace on the first floor offers hybrid usage areas, including a column-free central area of almost 37 by 11 meters and room heights of 4.50 meters.

"This is a unique combination for creative workspaces in Munich," says Dr. Ulf Laub, also a member of the Optima-Aegidius Group Management Board. The space on the first floor, which - apart from the makerspace - is still available, is exciting for all companies that want to set up workshops and test laboratories or develop prototypes thanks to its 4.50-metre room height. According to Hans Hammer, some special areas in the building are also suitable for biotech companies with laboratories that have special requirements in terms of air technology, energy supply, water networks and cooling. The upper floors offer space for companies that are generally looking for sustainable working environments.

Transformation of a neighborhood

The Obersendling location could not be better suited for the new building. With the rise and fall of Siemens over the past 50 years, a lot has happened in Obersendling. For years, the district has been developing from an industrial area into a versatile urban quarter with a flourishing but little-known street art culture. The district in the south of Munich has always been a mixture of residential area and industrial location. Now that residential areas in the south of the city have been reimagined with high-rises such as Südseite and Isarbelle, new commercial space is being created here. The conversion of the Siemens high-rise itself is also still pending. "As Hammer and Optima, we recognized the potential of the location early on and want to play an active role in shaping it," explain the three board members.