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Corporate architecture is an effective but still too often neglected marketing tool. Yet companies and architects can work together to create buildings that perfectly represent the company to the outside world.
Clothes make the man; buildings make an impression. Business premises are by no means insignificant for the success of businesses and the image of companies: If a company building is spacious, bright, and airy, customers will infer that the company is creative and innovative. If an office is small, cluttered, and dark, it’s easy to assume that a bunch of quirky, disorganized people are at work here. For a company’s employees, too, it matters where their desks or the machines they work on are located. A pleasant workplace and a thoughtfully designed work environment boost motivation, foster creativity, and strengthen employees’ loyalty to the company—beyond the realm of feng shui. That’s why creative agencies are often drawn to former industrial buildings in greenfield locations. There, they can demonstrate their intellectual openness to their heart’s content—even in the architecture itself. Banks and staffing agencies, on the other hand, prefer to set up shop in historic buildings, as clients are impressed by the serious, experienced aura such structures exude.
All in one piece
Corporate Architecture (CA) strives to create a symbiosis between architecture and marketing. The goal of this architectural discipline is to align a company’s image, products, messages, and objectives with its physical spaces and overall external appearance. The symbolism, forms, colors, and materials used in the design of corporate real estate tie in with the brand’s CI/CD. In this way, the building reinforces a company’s overall image, represents its philosophy to the outside world, and fosters a sense of identity internally. It is not the company name on the building that reveals which company operates there, but the building itself. You can’t get more marketing than that.
But it doesn’t always have to be a white-painted loft with hardwood floors and a white leather sofa. Nor is a modernized historic building with metal and glass furniture necessarily the right fit for representing a company. What works depends on the company. «I estimate that half of all companies now consider CA when building or renovating their properties,» says Harald Echsle, co-owner of the Zurich-based architecture firm Spillmann Echsle. «But companies aren’t giving this topic the thought it deserves. They focus on the building’s location in terms of accessibility and want to look as stylish as possible. They aren’t yet aware that the impact of their property extends far beyond that.»
Vintage Eye-Catchers
Corporate Architecture may sound like a newfangled term, but designing and furnishing spaces to match a company’s image is nothing new. Harald Echsle even considers the Egyptian pyramids to be a form of CA—after all, they symbolize both the power of the pharaohs and their submission to the gods. From the beginning of the 20th century, a clear trend toward brand-promoting architecture has been evident. The designs often come from famous architects, so CA is anything but the “dirty corner” of architecture: The Fagnus shoe last factory in Alfeld was designed by Walter Gropius (opened in 1913), and Le Corbusier designed the Philips Pavilion in Brussels (opened in 1958); the Ricola production and warehouse building in Mulhouse was designed by Herzog & De Meuron (opened in 1995), the Maison Hermès in Tokyo was designed by Renzo Piano (opened in 2001), and the Swiss Re Tower in London by Norman Foster (opened in 2004). The Chrysler Building in New York, the Galeries Lafayette in Paris, the Sony Center in Berlin, and BMW’s “Four-Cylinder” building in Munich are also examples of masterful CA with an image-enhancing design.
Marketing in the Construction Industry
In April 2008, ETH Zurich honored successful contemporary CA projects with the «Award for Marketing + Architecture.» Initiated by Baukoma, the award aims to raise awareness among companies about the potential of CA as a highly effective marketing tool. The undisputed star of the awards ceremony was the Freitag flagship store in Zurich, designed by Spillmann Echsle. The store, where brothers Daniel and Markus Freitag sell their bags made from truck tarps, is constructed from 17 shipping containers stacked on top of one another. It stands in the heart of Zurich’s industrial district; from the top container, you have a perfect view of the Hardbrücke, which is also heavily trafficked by trucks. In short: everything fits together perfectly. The jury—composed of architects, entrepreneurs, and marketing professionals—deemed it a brand-strengthening design and awarded the architects 10,000 Swiss francs.
«Architecture is not a statement of status; rather, it should convey the company’s essence to the outside world,» says Harald Echsle, explaining his understanding of CA. «A building must tell a story about the company and the products it sells. The location must also fit into the bigger picture. If the property is harmoniously integrated into the overall design, it has a powerful impact not only on customers but also on employees. Freitag employees identify 100 percent with their employer—not just those who work in the Freitag Tower, but also those employed in the production hall we renovated.» Over the past two years, the Freitag Tower has even become a tourist attraction. And if it ever falls out of favor, it can simply be dismantled and the containers recycled. The architects have thought of that, too.
A Tangible Corporate Image
A total of six construction projects received the Marketing + Architecture Award: in addition to the Freitag store, these included the Regent Lighting Center in Basel (Office and Commercial Buildings category), the Eawag in Dübendorf (Green Technology Special Prize), the set design for Swiss Television (category: Department Stores, Shops, Customer Centers), the Gantenbein winery in Fläsch (category: Industrial and Commercial Buildings), and the Port of Lachen (category: Public Buildings, Museums, Hotels, and Restaurants). Images, construction sketches, and background information on the winners and the twelve other nominated projects are currently on display at the exhibition at ETH Zurich (see box).
Not for eternity
Incidentally, for a company, having a headquarters that aligns with its CI/CD and corporate philosophy isn’t just effective for marketing. Those who do it right also ensure that everything—including branch offices, production facilities, and temporary structures—is consistent. For example, the award jury was particularly impressed by the temporary VBSG pavilion on St. Gallen’s train station square. Customers of St. Gallen’s public transportation system aren’t served in a gray, standard container, but rather in a colorful cube made of wooden elements. «»Anyone who chooses CA has to be consistent,« emphasizes Harald Echsle. »Only when all of a company’s buildings reflect the same design language is standing out guaranteed. The Raiffeisen banks, for example, always have the same signature style: they buy or rent older properties and then renovate them in a modern style.” Recognition guaranteed.
CA isn’t more expensive than «normal» construction. «It costs the same whether you paint a wall blue or red,» Echsle points out. «But the effect of the colors is completely different.» If corporate buildings are truly designed with sustainability in mind, they may even pay for themselves sooner than traditional ones. After all, their very existence contributes to the company’s image and success. The question remains: when is the best time for a company to start with CA? After all, a company that already has ten branches can’t suddenly have all its buildings renovated according to CI/CD. «For new construction—which is a fresh start anyway—companies should definitely consider CA,» says Echsle. «The same applies to renovations or expansions. Sustainable CA will be the way forward in the future.»
Spillmann Echsle is currently designing Freitag stores around the world, with two currently under construction in Berlin and Cologne. While they want to build on the success of the Freitag Tower, they do not intend to duplicate it. «Obviously, we can’t build a second container tower in downtown Cologne,» says Echsle. «But we don’t want to do that anyway. Together with Freitag’s marketing department, we’ve developed CI guidelines for the stores and are now applying them to a wide variety of buildings.» The common thread: the “transportation” theme.
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm
All in one piece
Corporate Architecture (CA) strives to create a symbiosis between architecture and marketing. The goal of this architectural discipline is to align a company’s image, products, messages, and objectives with its physical spaces and overall external appearance. The symbolism, forms, colors, and materials used in the design of corporate real estate tie in with the brand’s CI/CD. In this way, the building reinforces a company’s overall image, represents its philosophy to the outside world, and fosters a sense of identity internally. It is not the company name on the building that reveals which company operates there, but the building itself. You can’t get more marketing than that.
But it doesn’t always have to be a white-painted loft with hardwood floors and a white leather sofa. Nor is a modernized historic building with metal and glass furniture necessarily the right fit for representing a company. What works depends on the company. «I estimate that half of all companies now consider CA when building or renovating their properties,» says Harald Echsle, co-owner of the Zurich-based architecture firm Spillmann Echsle. «But companies aren’t giving this topic the thought it deserves. They focus on the building’s location in terms of accessibility and want to look as stylish as possible. They aren’t yet aware that the impact of their property extends far beyond that.»
Vintage Eye-Catchers
Corporate Architecture may sound like a newfangled term, but designing and furnishing spaces to match a company’s image is nothing new. Harald Echsle even considers the Egyptian pyramids to be a form of CA—after all, they symbolize both the power of the pharaohs and their submission to the gods. From the beginning of the 20th century, a clear trend toward brand-promoting architecture has been evident. The designs often come from famous architects, so CA is anything but the “dirty corner” of architecture: The Fagnus shoe last factory in Alfeld was designed by Walter Gropius (opened in 1913), and Le Corbusier designed the Philips Pavilion in Brussels (opened in 1958); the Ricola production and warehouse building in Mulhouse was designed by Herzog & De Meuron (opened in 1995), the Maison Hermès in Tokyo was designed by Renzo Piano (opened in 2001), and the Swiss Re Tower in London by Norman Foster (opened in 2004). The Chrysler Building in New York, the Galeries Lafayette in Paris, the Sony Center in Berlin, and BMW’s “Four-Cylinder” building in Munich are also examples of masterful CA with an image-enhancing design.
Marketing in the Construction Industry
In April 2008, ETH Zurich honored successful contemporary CA projects with the «Award for Marketing + Architecture.» Initiated by Baukoma, the award aims to raise awareness among companies about the potential of CA as a highly effective marketing tool. The undisputed star of the awards ceremony was the Freitag flagship store in Zurich, designed by Spillmann Echsle. The store, where brothers Daniel and Markus Freitag sell their bags made from truck tarps, is constructed from 17 shipping containers stacked on top of one another. It stands in the heart of Zurich’s industrial district; from the top container, you have a perfect view of the Hardbrücke, which is also heavily trafficked by trucks. In short: everything fits together perfectly. The jury—composed of architects, entrepreneurs, and marketing professionals—deemed it a brand-strengthening design and awarded the architects 10,000 Swiss francs.
«Architecture is not a statement of status; rather, it should convey the company’s essence to the outside world,» says Harald Echsle, explaining his understanding of CA. «A building must tell a story about the company and the products it sells. The location must also fit into the bigger picture. If the property is harmoniously integrated into the overall design, it has a powerful impact not only on customers but also on employees. Freitag employees identify 100 percent with their employer—not just those who work in the Freitag Tower, but also those employed in the production hall we renovated.» Over the past two years, the Freitag Tower has even become a tourist attraction. And if it ever falls out of favor, it can simply be dismantled and the containers recycled. The architects have thought of that, too.
A Tangible Corporate Image
A total of six construction projects received the Marketing + Architecture Award: in addition to the Freitag store, these included the Regent Lighting Center in Basel (Office and Commercial Buildings category), the Eawag in Dübendorf (Green Technology Special Prize), the set design for Swiss Television (category: Department Stores, Shops, Customer Centers), the Gantenbein winery in Fläsch (category: Industrial and Commercial Buildings), and the Port of Lachen (category: Public Buildings, Museums, Hotels, and Restaurants). Images, construction sketches, and background information on the winners and the twelve other nominated projects are currently on display at the exhibition at ETH Zurich (see box).
Not for eternity
Incidentally, for a company, having a headquarters that aligns with its CI/CD and corporate philosophy isn’t just effective for marketing. Those who do it right also ensure that everything—including branch offices, production facilities, and temporary structures—is consistent. For example, the award jury was particularly impressed by the temporary VBSG pavilion on St. Gallen’s train station square. Customers of St. Gallen’s public transportation system aren’t served in a gray, standard container, but rather in a colorful cube made of wooden elements. «»Anyone who chooses CA has to be consistent,« emphasizes Harald Echsle. »Only when all of a company’s buildings reflect the same design language is standing out guaranteed. The Raiffeisen banks, for example, always have the same signature style: they buy or rent older properties and then renovate them in a modern style.” Recognition guaranteed.
CA isn’t more expensive than «normal» construction. «It costs the same whether you paint a wall blue or red,» Echsle points out. «But the effect of the colors is completely different.» If corporate buildings are truly designed with sustainability in mind, they may even pay for themselves sooner than traditional ones. After all, their very existence contributes to the company’s image and success. The question remains: when is the best time for a company to start with CA? After all, a company that already has ten branches can’t suddenly have all its buildings renovated according to CI/CD. «For new construction—which is a fresh start anyway—companies should definitely consider CA,» says Echsle. «The same applies to renovations or expansions. Sustainable CA will be the way forward in the future.»
Spillmann Echsle is currently designing Freitag stores around the world, with two currently under construction in Berlin and Cologne. While they want to build on the success of the Freitag Tower, they do not intend to duplicate it. «Obviously, we can’t build a second container tower in downtown Cologne,» says Echsle. «But we don’t want to do that anyway. Together with Freitag’s marketing department, we’ve developed CI guidelines for the stores and are now applying them to a wide variety of buildings.» The common thread: the “transportation” theme.
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm
The Freitag Container Tower, which opened in 1996, was designed by the architectural firm
Designed by Spillmann Echsle.
Designed by Spillmann Echsle.
Frank O. Gehry's Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, completed in 1989.
