Bielefeld: a lesson in long-term quality
The Schüco Campus in Bielefeld makes a rather unexpected impression. On the map, it is a typical industrial area on the outskirts of the city, but in reality the campus functions as a large architectural and engineering organism, in which each building explains the company's philosophy better than any presentation. Schüco has transformed former production buildings into research laboratories, new types of offices and open demonstration areas - as if trying to show that modern facades do not begin with a glass plane, but with a culture of working with space.
According to the scenario of visiting the Welcome Forum, guests get to know the 80-year history of the brand. Photo: Roland Borgmann. Photo courtesy of Schüco Ukraine
The Welcome Forum is the entrance gate to the campus. In our publications, we have already written that Schüco has created in Bielefeld not a showroom or an industrial museum, but a model of communication design. During a personal visit, this understanding is only strengthened. The Welcome Forum hospitably welcomed Ukrainian architects to immerse themselves in the world of modern engineering, demonstrate and explain the evolution of facade technologies - from classic aluminum profiles to integrated sun protection systems and other smart solutions.
In reporting from the international construction exhibition BAU, which takes place every two years in Munich, PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA has always paid special attention to the stands. Schüco, but the permanent home exhibition gives a much more extensive idea of the range and innovative technologies. The exhibition reminds us that the facade of a modern building today is a structure consisting of around twenty thousand elements that must fit together precisely during the project implementation process. Schüco has long been operating not as a supplier of windows and doors, but as a company that covers the entire building cycle: from digital design tools and support to production, installation and further processing of materials.
Exhibition hall for the demonstration of Schüco industrial robots and machine tools in the Schüco Welcome Forum. Photo: Roland Borgmann. Photo courtesy of Schüco Ukraine
A telling part of the tour was a visit to the Fabrication Showroom. The space that used to be a production workshop now houses numerous machines and robotic systems. A demonstration of corporate developments is an invitation to a business partnership. Machines and software from Schüco can be the start of successful local production in any of the Ukrainian regions. The company provides supply, commissioning and service of equipment that allows for on-site assembly of facade systems and components, and also conducts specialist training right here, in Bielefeld.
Welcome Forum hospitably hosted Ukrainian architects to immerse them in the world of modern engineering, demonstrate and explain the evolution of facade technologies
Unexpectedly, one of the most vivid impressions was a tour of the components warehouse. Obeying the algorithms of the warehouse program, dozens of robots were constantly moving between the racks along and across the hangar, flying with boxes to a height of 30 meters, and then disappearing somewhere deep underground. This spectacle resembled a game of giant Tetris. The complete robotization of the warehouse allowed the company to free dozens of employees from routine and physically difficult work and direct the human resource to another area - technical developments and service. Digitalization has practically eliminated the risks of re-sorting and errors during order picking. Operators are required to perform only selective quality control.
Robotic components warehouse at Schüco Campus. Photo courtesy of Schüco Ukraine
The Schüco Technology Center in Bielefeld operates as a full-fledged research laboratory, where the operational limits of window, door and facade systems are tested. As the guests were able to see, entire facade fragments are tested here - from individual nodes to giant twelve-meter sections. They are subjected to crash tests, extreme tests for strength, tightness, durability and safety. There are even ballistic tests: a robotic installation simulates shooting with various types of ammunition, which allows you to evaluate the behavior of protective windows and doors in real scenarios. Stands are continuously operating in separate compartments, simulating tens and hundreds of thousands of cycles of opening and closing sashes - sometimes up to a million, depending on the product class and customer requirements.
The center is accredited as an independent laboratory, so it conducts research not only for Schüco's internal developments, but also on behalf of other manufacturers. The test results comply with international protocols and can be used in the certification of new systems. For architects and developers, this complex is important because it provides access to objective data on the behavior of materials and structures - parameters on which the reliability of the building in the long term depends.
Schüco campus car park with reinforced textile facade. Photo by Christian Eblenkamp
In the central part of the campus there is a garage designed Schlattmeier Architects, which provides parking for employees who come to work by car every day. Its most distinctive feature is the textile facade using the technology FACID, patented by Schüco. The light translucent fabric envelops the open frame in three-dimensional waves, creating the effect of movement even in a static structure. FACID allows for individual printing and dynamic lighting, which is implemented in Bielefeld: after dark, accent and interior lighting, activated by motion sensors, create changing color effects on the facade plane. During the day, the open parking levels are well lit and ventilated, while the textile layer protects against sun and precipitation. The special coating of the fabric also ensures fire safety - fiberglass with a Teflon coating of fire resistance class A2 was used for the garage.
The seven-story Schüco Corporate Services block is a former administrative building with buildings from the 60s and 80s, which was renovated and reopened in 2022. Today, it houses the workplaces of the commercial, financial and IT departments. It should be noted that Schüco approached the reconstruction process as a demonstration of its own principles: all aluminum elements of the old shell were recycled and returned to the production cycle, and the building received a modular facade AF UDC 80, assembled from 332 factory elements and certified in accordance with the European Cradle-to-Cradle concept.
The heart of the Schüco campus in Bielefeld is the Schüco One building, designed by studio 3XN. Photo: Stefan Brückner
The center of this architectural ensemble is Schüco One, the new headquarters designed by 3XN. The building immediately stands out against the backdrop of industrial buildings: it seems light, almost flying, although it hides a complex system of solutions. Metal profiles, transparent surfaces, opening elements and blank modules - all this is collected in a clear, almost musical rhythm, which turns the building into a large-scale demonstration stand. Showiness does not interfere with practicality: the building is certified according to three international sustainability standards at once, and this is clearly felt inside - in light, air, silence. The logic of the interior is a continuation of this openness. The central atrium core works as an internal square, where routes and views intersect. Glass transitions between levels and bright space around create what Schüco likes to call "communication architecture": the design encourages employees to communicate.
The roof of Schüco One overlooks the northeastern outskirts of Bielefeld. The area, once filled with uniform industrial warehouses, is becoming more and more like a business center every year - and in many ways thanks to the collection of architectural buildings by Schüco, which, one might say, is one of the city-forming companies. Of course, in Germany, even in historically industrial cities, infrastructure and budgets are diversified, but large corporations still have a tangible impact on city life, taking on some of the social burden. For example, Schüco actively supports sporting events and the local football team. In the early 2000s, the company took on the reconstruction of the city stadium, during which its capacity was expanded to 22,5 seats, and the east stand of the Schüco Arena is equipped with an ultra-modern glass roof with integrated photovoltaic cells that generate electricity for the club.
Machine tools and software from Schüco can be the beginning of successful local production in any of the Ukrainian regions
From above, it is very easy to assess the logic of the Schüco Campus master plan: it does not look like a technology park. It has a tangible social dimension, which Schüco seems to consider an integral part of its corporate culture. From conversations with employees, a holistic picture emerges: the company actively invests in education, supports its own training center, opens production specialties for young people, participates in urban restoration and environmental programs. The campus has cafes, green areas, comfortable meeting places; all new office spaces are designed according to the principles of a healthy environment, with plenty of light and natural ventilation. This is not a "bonus" for employees, but a continuation of the same logic: the company demonstrates that innovations in architecture begin with innovations in the work process.
Schüco campus in Bielefeld, Germany. Photo: Roland Borgmann
The Neuss-based D'art Design Gruppe GmbH agency (which is also responsible for the design of the Schüco Group's stands at international trade fairs) has developed a unified exterior navigation system for the campus. Aluminum pillars, coated in anthracite satin lacquer and evenly illuminated around the entire perimeter, help pedestrians and motorists to find their way to the parking lot. The design code was clearly inspired by the window and facade element profiles from Schüco's extensive portfolio.
If we talk not about architecture and technology, but about the human dimension in the literal sense, then the warmth of the welcome was also impressive: several Schüco employees devoted their working hours not only to guiding the Ukrainians along the route, but also to trying to answer all their questions and even anticipate the unspoken. Dr. Jörg Westphal, currently Executive Senior Vice President, Managing Director of International Business at Schüco International KG, said that he was impressed by the courage of the Ukrainians who continued to design and build despite the unprecedented extreme conditions. He knows this firsthand: during a visit to Kyiv, he also had to spend several hours in a bomb shelter due to shelling.
Dr. Jörg Westphal, Executive Senior Vice President, Managing Director International Business Schüco International KG
The guides had a hard time: the Ukrainian group turned out to be extremely attentive to details, and the questions were technically precise and sometimes quite narrowly specialized. The architects were interested in everything: what exactly the anthracite facade of the Welcome Forum is made of, how the textile shell of the parking lot is maintained, what fraction of crushed stone is laid in the drainage blind areas along the buildings, what formwork was used for architectural concrete, and even what thickness of the granite slabs on the stairs. Natalia Kashirina, architect and co-founder of the FILIMONOV & KASHIRINA architects bureau, explains that such scrupulousness is dictated by professional interest: “For example, the stairs are a marker. We immediately see if the customer is building for himself: then the stairs are made of slabs, of solid stone. It is more expensive, but the costs will pay off many times over, because in 30 years nothing will happen to the stairs, and in a hundred years - too. "And someone who builds for sale lays a typical 30 mm thick granite slab, which can crack or fly away in a few years. That's why trips like this are important: the opportunity to see the process from the inside and literally touch everything, feel everything with your hands."
Natalia Kashirina, architect and co-founder of FILIMONOV & KASHIRINA architects
Anna Borodkina, chief architect of BORODKIN architects, continues the theme of attention to detail: “Architecture is always about what a person sees and touches. Everything within six meters must be of perfect quality — on hidden fasteners made of good materials. What is higher can be simplified. But what is touchable, what can be touched, must be of resonant quality.”
Anna Borodkina, chief architect of the BORODKIN architects studio
The Schüco Bielefeld campus turned out to be exactly what it was intended to be: not a museum of achievements, but a working organism, where every building, every machine and every processed profile demonstrates the logic of long-term quality. Ukrainian architects gained a clear understanding of the full cycle - from digital design to the reuse of materials, from robotic logistics to certified testing. All this can already be localized in Ukraine today: equipment is supplied, specialists are trained, and the Cradle-to-Cradle principle works regardless of borders.
Düsseldorf. Schüco showroom and introduction to the architecture of the Medienhafen
The second day of the trip began in Düsseldorf's Medienhafen, an area where former port infrastructure has been transformed into one of Germany's most expressive urban laboratories. It is here, on the ground floor of the FLOAT building designed by Renzo Piano, that the Schüco city showroom is located. The concept of maximum transparency is ideally suited to the exhibition function: the space remains evenly lit, without harsh sunspots, and large panoramic windows create a soft but expressive background for product samples. Due to the dense surrounding of high-rise buildings, the ground floor is in natural partial shade, which reduces the heat load and allows for almost no use of cooling systems even on hot days.
View of the Medienhafen district: the TV tower is perceived as a dominant feature, but each object from the architectural collection deserves separate attention. Photo courtesy of Schüco Ukraine
In the Düsseldorf showroom they demonstrate those Schüco systems, which today shape the architectural language of modern Europe: from window profiles and sliding structures to large-format facade elements. A demonstration wall with several dozen current systems can easily fit on an area of only 140 m² - and it is thanks to the architecture of the building that they do not have to be "illuminated" artificially: natural light is enough to show proportions, surfaces and details.
Schüco offices are located in the adjacent DOCK building, occupying the 14th floor. Through the panoramic windows, employees have a view of the harbor. Another office is being built nearby, where the installation stage of the facade from Schüco systems is taking place. Employees joke that they can supervise the process without even leaving their offices, but simply watching from the window.
For the Ukrainian participants of the trip, this episode of the excursion is important because it sets the context for the whole day: the route then runs through a number of iconic buildings of the Medienhafen, in which Schüco is no longer working in a demonstration format, but as part of the finished architecture. So the relaxed walk turned into a practical study of how Schüco technologies implemented in a complex urban environment, on real buildings, with different requirements for geometry, energy efficiency and operation.
Delegation from Ukraine in front of the Schüco showroom in Düsseldorf. Photo courtesy of Schüco Ukraine
A few minutes’ walk from the office is Haus vor dem Wind (2006, Zamp Kelp), a building where it is immediately apparent how it works with plastic and light. Its undulating contours are made possible precisely by FWS 50, a system that allows continuous curved facades to be assembled without increasing the thickness of the visible elements or distorting the seam line. After almost twenty years of operation in the humid coastal climate, these solutions are holding up well.
The Medienzentrum (1995, BM+P Architektur) demonstrates a different logic: it is rationality incarnate. The elemental facade based on PAF windows creates a large, flat plane that provides uniform natural lighting of the interior space. Visually, it is one of the most modest buildings in the port, but it is precisely such buildings that show how the modular system maintains a balance between budget, thermal engineering and transparency.
Frank Gehry's famous Neuer Zollhof is one of the focal points of the Medienhafen. Photo source: Zollhof
Frank Gehry's Neuer Zollhof is a complex that has long become a tourist attraction in Düsseldorf, but from a technical point of view it remains a striking example of the interaction of form and engineering. The three buildings with different shell materials are assembled using various Schüco systems - from Royal S 65 to FW 60 and FWS 60 CV. At complex points of curvature, it is the facade profiles that fix deformations and ensure the stability of the glazing where classic systems simply would not work.
The WDR complex (1991, Parade und Partner) stands out in this route: here the Schüco FW 60+ and FWS 60 CV solutions work not for a spectacular image, but for function. TV and radio studios require stability, acoustic insulation, a controlled microclimate, and the systems used fulfill precisely this, less visible but critical set of tasks.
In the building at Speditionstraße 17 (Ingenhoven Overdiek, 2002), Schüco once again finds itself in the role of a “structural tool”: the individual element system and PAF windows create a uniform, almost graphic facade in which the important thing is not decorativeness, but precision of installation.
Capricorn Haus, designed by the architectural studio Gatermann + Schossig. Photo source: Gatermann + Schossig
In Capricorn Haus (2005, Gatermann + Schossig), the facade enters a different dimension — not as an enclosing structure, but as a carrier of engineering functions. The i-modul and Royal S systems and the special USC construction integrate ventilation and technical ducts into the facade module itself. For Ukrainian architects, this turned out to be one of the most practically interesting cases: the building actually created an autonomous climate microsystem, built into the glass block.
The Trivago Campus (2018, slapa oberholz pszczulny architekten), which uses the individual element systems AWS 75 SI+ and FWS 50, is a clear demonstration of how modular systems adapt to long terraces, trapezoidal plans and changes in column pitch.
The area, once filled with similar industrial warehouses, is becoming more and more like a business center every year - and in large part thanks to the collection of Schüco architectural buildings.
The tour concludes with the Kai Center (1996, Döring Dahmen Joeressen). This is a building with a complex hinged concrete panel, where the FWS 50 facade works at the limit of its possibilities: the inclination of the plane, the reflections from the water and the uneven solar load required precise control over the geometry and the light reflection. A case where the facade system actually shapes the image.
Genius is in the details. Conclusion
The impressions of the campus in Bielefeld and the tour of the architectural collection in the Düsseldorf harbor were not only based on technical details and architectural solutions - they acquired a personal dimension. Ukrainian architects, who work every day in conditions far from German stability, keenly felt how organically Schüco combines engineering depth, care for people, and long-term thinking.
Natalia Taran, AXIOMA company
Natalia Taran, AXIOMA company: "The value of Schüco for me is that they can combine a customer-oriented approach with an engineering one. Very often these are mutually exclusive things. Engineering companies, even such large ones, rarely know how to be customer-oriented. Attention to detail is evident in everything: in the organization of workplaces, products, approaches to colleagues. Schüco for me is a company, a business that we emulate and are inspired by."
Olga Podushkina, Vice President of the National Union of Architects
Olga Podushkina, Vice President of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine: “Unforgettable impressions: we were able to see the “kitchen” of production, a wonderful showroom with new products, chat, discuss and relax!”
Heorhiy Perederiy, GREENWOOD Development: "Schüco impressed with its scale. I really liked the laboratory for testing new products. I was also amazed by the logistics of the product warehouse - it's something from the future! I am sure that Schüco inspires partners and designers in Ukraine and around the world."
Eduard Pukhaev, VALENTIROV & PARTNERS: "I really liked the organization of the space on the Schüco campus. High-quality pedestrian spaces, the presence of even barbecue areas on the production site, as well as the presence of its own kindergarten, where employees can, without wasting much time, take their children before work. And, of course, fantastic window structures that allow the implementation of the most daring projects."
Anna Borodkina, BORODKIN ARCHITECTS: “I like the Schüco philosophy. They work and live in a spirit that is very reminiscent of the Eastern philosophy of kaizen - constant, daily improvement of details. Not loud gestures, not decorative effects, but precision, accuracy, work on small elements that make up quality. Each of their numerous team, no matter what they do, works for the overall result.”
Andriy Gardash, AXIOMA company
Andriy Gardash, AXIOMA: "Schüco is not just a supplier of materials, it is an engineering company that pays great attention to engineering, testing, and trials. When designing and finding solutions for customers, I have no doubts about the decisions of Schüco engineers. Therefore, I am happy to join Schüco in complex projects."
Dmytro Shapoval, Director of Development and Capital Construction of ASVIO Investment Holding: “For me, Schüco is first and foremost technology, not only of the present, but also of the future, this is precisely the potential of the company, which focuses on its own developments and invests a significant part of its budget in R&D. Schüco’s construction solutions, which were presented during a visit to the central office, made a truly unforgettable impression; it is not just a system manufacturer, but an innovative partner. I really liked the engineering center, where real operating conditions are simulated with results (wind loads, water resistance, thermal insulation, burglar resistance, bulletproofness). Thanks to this, the company can not only improve existing structures, but also test new developments, confirming engineering calculations on real models.
Observation deck in front of the Hyatt Hotel, which occupies one of the towers of the Hafenspitze complex in Medienhafen. Photo courtesy of Schüco Ukraine
From my own experience of cooperation, I can say that the main segments of consumption of Schüco products are the development of commercial real estate and the construction of premium private houses. High-quality window and display structures, doors with a zero threshold and reliable sealing systems - this is what distinguishes Schüco from dozens of other manufacturers. The thoughtfulness of components, parts and technical solutions is at the highest level of perfection. This attention to detail minimizes the risks of the human factor during installation, provided that the performers are properly trained, and ensures durability. It contains elements invisible to the eye: hidden fittings, multi-level sealing systems, drainage channels that prevent the formation of cold bridges and condensation. This guarantees the end consumer no problems during many years of operation. Of course, solutions for atriums in the Grid2Shell system may also be needed in these segments, but here is a story about unique architectural concepts and exclusive projects.
The Düsseldorf showroom showcases the Schüco systems that today shape the architectural language of modern Europe: from window profiles and sliding structures to large-format facade elements.
It is worth noting the prospects of textile facades. Given the trend towards the construction of multi-level above-ground parking lots in Kyiv, such solutions could add aesthetic expressiveness to these structures. However, here the issue of flammability and fire certification of materials arises - a typical challenge for innovations in Ukraine. If Schüco can cooperate with local certification bodies to adapt these materials, this will actually open up a new architectural dimension for utilitarian objects, making the urban environment more attractive.
As for the unwillingness of builders to integrate complex technological solutions, here, first of all, the principle of expediency of implementing these ideas on the part of customers and investors should prevail; the real estate market of Ukraine is mostly outdated in terms of engineering and energy efficiency buildings that need to be reconstructed. When there is a demand for more interesting solutions, there will be experienced companies that can implement them, and the Schüco training center will be able to adapt their knowledge to specific tasks.
Delegation from Ukraine in front of the Schüco Welcome Forum building in Bielefeld. Photo courtesy of Schüco Ukraine
For Ukrainian architects, this experience was not just a professional break, but another proof: genius is in the details, and the secret of success is in the willingness to take responsibility for each element, each component. So that the next time someone says “it’s just a facade,” the architect can confidently answer: “No, it’s a hundred years without compromise. And we know exactly how it’s done.”
