Project management for the Mercedes Benz World Stuttgart

With the Mercedes Benz Museum and the Mercedes Benz Centre, the new Mercedes Benz World will rise on a 57.000 square metre-building site in Stuttgart-Untertuerkheim. The project's requirements in terms of quality and execution of construction works are great. The venture needs comprehensive project management and specialist know-how - core competencies of Drees & Sommer.

With annually 450.000 visitors, the current Mercedes Benz Museum is one of Stuttgart's most visited museums. This resulted in the desire of the automotive manufacturer for a new and bigger building to house the museum. Now, a building will rise offering a total of 31.000 square metres gross floor space and exhibition space of 17.000 square metres for ca. 170 exhibits.
For Drees & Sommer, the project with the new concept for the museum started in August 2000. Required premises and their functions were discussed in collaboration with the user, DaimlerChrysler AG COM/CL and the contractor, DaimlerChrysler Immobilien (DCI). The thus developed premise programme aims at enabling the visitor to experience the myth Mercedes Benz. Based on these first considerations, Drees & Sommer was able to estimate investments, compile schedules and define the basics for technical equipment of the building. The first conception phase already revealed to all participants, that the concept for the museum building must be tuned to the requirements of the exhibition concept - the building must be developed from the inside to the outside.

In June 2001, DaimlerChrysler Immobilien GmbH (DCI) advertised the international architect competition. Offices from the USA, Japan, Spain, Holland, Switzerland and Germany participated. During the process, Drees & Sommer, with the contractor, supported the architects to communicate tender contents and the myth Mercedes Benz and to ensure the smooth development of the competition. Subsequently, submissions were minutely examined in terms of set requirements of functionality and feasibility of the exhibition concept as well as strengths and weaknesses of proposed structural solutions. Simultaneously, project managers were able to effect first cost estimations for the unusual architectural constructions. Finally, in January 2002, the Amsterdam architect office UN Studio van Berkel & Bos with their concept of a spiral building was selected.

In the same year, the realisation of the Mercedes Benz Centre was decided upon. The light-flooded Centre, designed by Professor Christoph Kohlbecker (Gaggenau) covers an area of ca. 34.000 square metres and, with its cubic basic shape, forms the architectural counterpiece to the Mercedes Benz Museum. The four-storey building will house, amongst others, a showroom, a brand gallery with alternating exhibitions, service points, vehicle dispatch as well as 530 parking lots. The buildings are connected by a partially subterranean, multi-functional connective construction of about 100 metre length.

For Drees & Sommer, the project poses a central challenge: to, from the outset, consequently adhere to schedules and costs as well as high quality standards. In terms of the production of models and samples for instance, project managers ensure adherence to tender specifications and fixed dates. The exemplars and 1:1 models facilitate testing numerous materials as well as representing the complex geometry of the museum architecture and enable the implementation of resultant modifications parallel in construction. A so-called Model Twist - a complex component with static and supporting function - was produced in this manner. By means of the sample component it could be tested how to place the formwork. This resulted in an optimisation of concreting and a more rapid implementation of better quality in realisation. Steel is also used pre-fabricated resulting in briefer assembly periods and an improvement of quality. Currently, structural works have arrived at the sixth of nine levels. The stairway cores have already been completed. Now, façade works are started, first assemblies of building technology are under way in the lower storeys and structural works of the connecting building and the parking levels are scheduled to follow before the end of the year.

During the entire project period, project managers present and organise the network of constructor, user, planner and other specialists. A construction venture as complex as this project requires a multitude of experts, for instance to effect wind surveys or fume outlet studies. The internet-based Project Communication Management (PKM) supports project development by ensuring rapid data transfer between all participants.

Drees & Sommer project management ensures completion of the museum structure as well as the opening of the Mercedes Benz Centre in good time for the start of the Football World Championship in 2006.

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