Business premises: Hoberg & Driesch, one of the Europe’s leading tubular steel wholesalers, commissioned sop | architekten to redesign its logistics centre on Dusseldorf’s Theodorstraße. The brief – a genuine challenge – was to combine a huge 30,000m2 warehouse with a small admin building. To make the most of the evident contrasts, the design integrated the admin offices into the façade of the warehouse, slotting a three-storey bar of office space alongside the 225m-long industrial structure to give attractive proportions.

The façade itself is particularly striking: the black aluminium and glass office structure, its front wall angled at 10°, projecting from the silver metal panel wall of the warehouse creates a strong visual image. The optical openness inside is equally exciting, permitting constant communication between the warehouse floor and the offices. This is a fine example of industrial architecture that manages to achieve high design standards using simple means.