The transition of the German Ruhr conurbation from an industrial to a service-sector base is manifested in the city of Oberhausen in the metamorphosis of its urban fabric – once defined (albeit incompletely) by blocks and streets – into a continuously green city. This paradigm shift is clearly illustrated by the upgrade of the Sparkasse bank headquarters in the city centre, where a new freestanding headquarters is combined with the remodelling and extension of the bank’s main high-street branch.

The urban transformation is also reflected in both the structure and the appearance of the architecture. The new headquarters building – greatly reduced in size – is informed by the principles of efficiency and sustainability. Its continuously curving façade is a highly insulated, double-skin construction. The wooden inner façade is protected by a weatherproof outer layer, and reversible solar screening lies between.

The sculptural form of the building is accentuated by vertical strips of polished stainless steel and by horizontal bands of green-printed glass. Seen together with diurnal and seasonal variation, its flowing contours and its coloured and reflective surfaces lend the building an almost natural aspect that both spatially and atmospherically supports Oberhausen’s architectural transition into a park city.