MegaCities - Isar South
Creating a New City District
One of the most extensive urban construction projects in Europethe expansion of Siemens largest location worldwideis under way in Munich. The project, which is set for completion in 2016, calls for the site to be expanded to cover an area as large as a hundred soccer fields. Up to now this historic location, which has been home to Siemens since 1927, has not been accessible to the public. But this is set to change, as planners have called for the site to be integrated into the urban environment. The goal is to create a new city district called Isar South that not only provides space in which to work but also to live and relax. The next few years will see the appearance of new office buildings occupying 440,000 m² on the Siemens site, some 1,500 apartments, plus kindergartens, playgrounds, restaurants and hotels. In addition to small parks and recreational facilities, a large five-hectare park where people can go for picnics and enjoy sports activities will also be available. Since smaller high-tech companies and start-up firms are also being attracted to the location, the number of workers employed at the site is expected to more than double to around 25,000. The city is also backing the projectwhich isnt too surprising, given that the south of Munich stands to benefit enormously from the opening of the site, the urgently needed residential area, and the creation of new jobs.
In spite of its size, the redevelopment project is just one step along the road toward achieving a more ambitious goal. A wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens Real Estate GmbH, Isar South is being planned as a completely new working environment. The current trend in this area is for employees involved in projects of limited duration to keep forming new teams. Flexibility and mobility are the basic prerequisites here. However, traditional office design with single or double rooms is not particularly suitable for this work style That will change with Siemens new Future Office concept. Here, employees have access to a wide variety of zones: rooms for holding discussions or meetings with guests, individual offices for work that requires concentration, and leisure zones for relaxing and chatting. "Whats more, wireless LAN network technology and ergonomic office furniture made from environmentally friendly materials will improve comfort," says Uwe Nienstedt, head of the Isar South project. "Our strategy takes into account how we will work in 25 years. If we want to remain competitive with regard to our work processes, then these state-of-the-art office structures will have to be integrated into the early planning of every new office building."
On the one hand, this would mean a paradigm shift toward work that is independent of location and time, on the other, desk-sharing models would increase area efficiency and lower operating costs. After all, it has been proven that dividing space according to requirements improves communication and promotes more flexible working times and structures. "Last but not least, such an approach greatly increases freedom and variety at the workplace," says Nienstedt.
Tobias Hahn