PROGRESS is the market leader in the production of precast and reinforced concrete elements and is a provider of efficient and sustainable turnkey building solutions.  Their new headquarters in Bressanone was designed and built utilising the latest scientific research into workplace environmental studies.  Both the shape of the building and the arrangement of the interiors follow these principles to create a high-quality workplaces for the employees.  The movement flows between the individual work areas, meeting rooms and connecting areas.  The impressive 29.99 meter high main façade was also designed to take internal movement sequences into account and incorporates a regular sequence of windows and precast concrete walls. The prefabricated façade was refined with Lasa marble aggregates using a PROGRESS system specially developed for this requirement. Like the flush windows, it is intended to reflect the surroundings and look like a white grid framing the dark windows. The headquarters of PROGRESS has 8 above-ground floors and a volume of 24,500 m3, designed entirely in BIM. From planning to completion, over 80 companies were involved in the construction of the building.

The requirement

• For its headquarters in Brixen, the company has designed a meeting place for its employees that is different from the classic canteen; a real restaurant with high-quality catering and a wide selection of dishes. A relaxing place to consume the lunch break surrounded by an ambience of refined design.
• About 160 seats and 500 meals – the restaurant undoubtedly needed a high-performance catering equipment.
• In keeping with the architectural principles, a solution was sought that combined all cooking processes in one suite, with a continuous surface.

The solution

• Taking into account the form and architectural elements of the structure, an individual solution was developed: A single cooking island that integrated all cooking appliances (including bulk and traditional cooking appliances) as well as two Ambach IQ (Touch-screen controlled, Electric, tilting, pressure bratt-pans).
• The work-top was manufactured as a continuous, one-piece hygienic top. The high-performance Ambach System 900 product line for the most demanding environments was chosen, suited into an appealing, minimalistic design.
• Cement, a material closely linked to the core business of PROGRESS, was utilised for special elements in the kitchen alongside more traditional materials such as stainless steel in the kitchen along with marble and wood finishes in the buffet area.
• The positioning and installation of such a large and heavy cooking suite was well thought out and executed perfectly, combining precise functional requirements with an appealing design during the construction process. This was made possible by the close collaboration between Ambach, Niederbacher (Thomas Krismer, Armin Romen), PROGRESS and the architectural firm Dearstudio (Arch. Manuel Gschnell).