Located in the Medienhafen district of Düsseldorf, just near the first basin of the harbor, the « Float » project gathers six individual office-blocks of different size and height connected by a series of bridges – the “Passerelles” - in a glazed volume. The geometry of the buildings corresponds to the alignments of the streets around in this area in urban transformation. They fill the last gap at the Southern end of Düsseldorf Medienhafen.

The project includes 35,000 sq. meters above ground (mainly offices and retail) and 30,000 sq. meters below ground (780-parking places). The plot is East-West oriented, and is 200 meters long.

The voids between the individual blocks enable the natural light to come in and provide direct views to the harbor at the North side. On the South side, the “Passerelle” is a climatic and acoustic buffer zone between the South facing street (sun) with heavy traffic and the working spaces. Place of horizontal and vertical circulation between the different office areas, it is also a space for informal meetings, coffee break and communication.

At ground level, the public can walk through the passages between the buildings that connect the “Piazza” with its tree cover at the North to the future urban development on the South side, giving back some permeability to the urban system. The functions of the same ground floor are also public: retail, restaurants and cafés.

Being fully glazed, the buildings are light and transparent. Slightly lifted from ground, they float like icebergs on the sea. The shading is made on the East and West façades by fabric roller blinds and on the South façades by photovoltaic elements. The floating roof surfaces are covered with extensive green.

The structure is made of concrete cores, slabs and columns. The system of “Passerelles” is made of steel, cantilevered above ground floor from the concrete cores and columns.

The sources of energy present on site are used to cool and heat the buildings (ground water, sun and district heating).