Project Description

The Factory Extension

The building consists of two main factory spaces with added storage facilities above, a central core which merges the two spaces together, and the outdoor area that facilitates internal vehicular and pedestrian activities.

The Factory Floors

The main requirement of the project was to introduce two new factory spaces: injection moulding chamber and printing, welding, assembling, and packing chamber: adjacent to the existing Playmobil factory. Above these factory floors of double height, are an additional Storage facilities. The factory floors are painted in white and have high level windows to provide natural light within the spaces. This gives a clean, simple look to the whole building in order to fit with its industrial surroundings.

The Central Core

A central core between the two chambers facilitates industrial activities between the factory spaces, and is also used for loading and unloading shipping containers. Mezzanine floors within the double height spaces of the factory floor and the storage spaces are designed to provide space for site management and additional office areas.

This central core encompasses the administrative functions of the factory, and therefore includes a foyer space, a canteen, locker areas, and sanitary facilities for the employees working in the Playmobil factory.

The North facade of the central core is composed of vertical blue-clear-and frosted glass apertures. This splash of colour gives the pedestrian entrance importance, making it the focal point of the entire building.

External Area

The site adjoins the existing Playmobil factory, and is designed to use the same entry point of the original factory for shipping containers to facilitate logistics and security. The perimeter of the factory is composed of a pedestrian path along the factory, diagonal parking spaces, a ring road, soft landscaping buffer, and precast concrete boundary wall with electrically operated gates.

The project also incorporates the excavation of underground tunnels between the existing and the new factory in order to improve communication between the two entities.

Conclusion

The Playmobil factory extension is a design and build project, which required the team to work intensively over a short period of time – a period in which good co-ordination between the architecture team, the M&E engineers, the contractor, and the client was key to the success of the project.