The new Team 7 headquarters will be a case of West meets the very Far East after Japanese architect Shigeru Ban claimed victory in the Austrian company’s international contest to design the new site. The brand’s home – which is one of Europe’s leading solid-wood furniture manufacturers – will be located in Ried im Innkreis, Upper Austria, with the new headquarters bringing together the core Team 7 values: environmental sustainability, technology, craftsmanship and design.
Ban’s design got the better of entries by Isay Weinfeld, from São Paulo in Brazil, and Vienna-based studio Delugan Meissl Associated Architects due to the way it reflected those Team 7 principles. «Shigeru Ban’s design strikes right to the heart of the Team 7 philosophy – explains CEO and owner Georg Emprechtinger – His concept encapsulates our vision and constitutes a tangible representation of every aspect of our multi-faceted philosophy».
The four-storey building is a homage to creativity, design and the beauty of wood. Team 7’s new home is a source of inspiration and a place where different cultures collide, with a plethora of influences at play. The different floors and linked by an elliptical internal space featuring a spiral ramp, a lift and a staircase, accompanying visitors from the exhibition area – on the ground floor – right up to the atrium. The space has a transparent, airy feel to it – a quality that runs through the whole project. Large windows are used throughout, to harness the full power of the sunlight. The two middle floors will host the open-plan offices, where wood will continue its role as the undisputed star of the show. It is a material that ensures the project’s environmental impact is kept down – one of the company’s primary objectives in all its production.
The Japanese architect’s innovative project perfectly encapsulates Team 7’s brand identity: contemporary but with traditional elements, hi-tech but with high regard for craftsmanship.