The Roche Diagnostic Innovation Center in Penzberg, Germany, redefines what a research building can be: not merely a technical infrastructure, but a spatial system designed around the people who work within it.
At the heart of the project is a generously glazed atrium that physically and symbolically connects two distinct environments: the workplace to the west and the laboratories to the east. A network of bridges spans this central space, creating short pathways between theory and practice. Rather than treating circulation as a functional afterthought, Studio Alexander Fehre transformed these connective elements into vibrant social zones — lined with organically shaped seating islands developed through a custom modular system, complemented by accent colors, lighting, and planting. Movement through the building becomes an integral spatial experience.
Each floor is carefully zoned to support the full spectrum of scientific work: focused individual tasks, collaborative sessions, informal exchange, and moments of pause. Transparent sightlines between workplace and laboratory dissolve traditional boundaries, making a shared culture of innovation visible and tangible. Integrated tea kitchens on every level function as informal anchor points, while retreat areas with acoustic curtains provide quiet environments for concentration. The result is a building that intuitively communicates how each space is intended to be used — without prescription.
A consistent visual identity ties the project together. A microscopy-inspired floor graphic runs throughout both buildings and across all floors, creating cohesion despite changing materials and functional requirements. Color zoning derived from laboratory materials — pipettes, reagents, precision instruments — establishes an intuitive wayfinding logic that bridges the worlds of research and work. Custom lighting elements and bespoke ceiling features reinforce the identity of individual areas, giving each neighborhood a distinct character within the whole.
The ground floor café stages the atrium as a social heart: its slatted ceiling and circular lighting element translate the building’s formal language into a welcoming place of encounter. The sky lounge on the top floor goes further — a progressive mix of moss-green curves and electrifying cobalt blue transforms what could be a conventional cafeteria into the building’s most sought-after destination, framing the Alpine panorama as an architectural finale.
Underpinning all of this is an integrated laboratory logistics concept: a fully automated sample transport system reduces development time of key process stages by up to 30 percent, forming the physical backbone of a digital laboratory concept. Interior architecture extends seamlessly into the highly specialized laboratory environments, ensuring that precision and spatial quality are held to the same standard throughout.
With approximately 35,500 m² of gross floor area and around 1,000 employees, the Roche Diagnostic Innovation Center demonstrates that technical ambition and human experience are not competing priorities — they are, at their best, inseparable.
Design:
Architect: Nickl & Partner Architekten
Photography:
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