Energy centre for Leipzig Telecommunications Office
A fashion is merely a form of ugliness so unbearable that we are compelled to alter it every six months.
(Oscar Wilde)
Prior to the construction of the Leipzig Telecommunications Office an energy centre had to be constructed to ensure the operational reliability of the existing technical areas. The energy centre was built within a 12-month period (1 Aug. 1991 – 1 Aug. 1992).
The project could be completed to schedule and within budget because all of those involved in planning and construction fulfilled their obligations, even in the face of more difficult circumstances than anticipated: the construction firm sometimes operated a three-shift working pattern.
The curved glass structure with its sturdy granite foundation, whose upper floors (office rooms) create a functional connection with the old building, represented an architectural link or fragment between the old and new building elements.
The technical areas themselves, including the emergency power system, medium and low-voltage switching systems, and transformer boxes, are located on the ground floor and in the basement floors ‑ up to 12 m deep, which was realised using a high-pressure injection system to secure the excavation pit.
The linking function and the associated verticality of the building are accentuated by coloured flue gas chimneys and aerial mounts.
