At first glance, the MI 2 building in the new “West.side Office” district in Bonn looks like a classic new construction project with contemporary architecture. While it is that, at the same time it playfully reflects the nearly 150-year history of the site on which it stands.
It can be seen from a long way away. The MI 2 building in Bonn is a real eye-catcher: With its ruby-red ceramic façade, it has a striking and aesthetically pleasing appearance of the highest quality. It was built on a former industrial site in Bonn-Endenich, where Swiss Life Asset Managers acquired land in 2018 to develop five properties mainly used as offices.
A glance at the façade of MI 2 …
Inspired by the red-brown tones of a neighbouring building’s brickwork, the architects decided to give MI 2 a perforated brickwork façade, but with a modern twist: in the form of suspended, rear-ventilated ceramic elements with a high degree of prefabrication and technical precision. The finely combed structure of the surface finishes plays with light, colour and materiality, meaning the visual effect of the façade varies depending on the time of day, the angle it is viewed from and the position of the sun, changing sometimes more into blue-red, sometimes more into black-brown-red or yellow-red.
Impressions of the «West.side Office» in Bonn with a special view of the MI 2
… and a look at the history of the site
The site on which MI 2, a state-of-the-art office building, was built has undergone constant change over the past 150 years and has a long and impressive history. In around 1880, the site was first used for industrial production, when a patent leather factory was founded there. Over the following decades, more companies moved in and constructed various other new buildings. At one point, several thousand people worked there and the area was a busy, noisy place.
In the course of its industrial development, the structures were constantly adapted to meet the specific requirements of the respective times. Following the onset of deindustrialisation in the early 1980s, a disused hall was turned into a performance and concert venue, which then paved the way for an event hall for the next three decades. The last industrial plant shut down in 2009.
New usage
Following its acquisition by Swiss Life Asset Managers in 2018 and the subsequent development of the district, the site has now been revitalised and has become a symbol of a successful symbiosis of industrial history and modern, sustainable architecture.
During the project development phase, a particularly strong focus was placed on environmental, social and economic sustainability. This included creating generous inner courtyard areas and green roofs. This created valuable habitats for insects and promoted biodiversity. At the same time, this helps with storing rainwater and reducing heat islands. The results were acknowledged with the “DGNB Gold Standard” certificate.
MI 2 is therefore not only a building, but also an invitation to tenants and users: to experience history, innovation and sustainability in a place with an industrial past.
