MVRDV Designs Office Building In Germany Clad In Pretty Plastic Shingles

Architect: MVRDV
Area: 4,500 m²
Year: 2021 – (In Progress)
Photographs: MVRDV, Airbus, Maxar Technologies
Founding Partner-in-Charge: Jacob van Rijs
Director: Sven Thorissen
Concept Phase (LP1): Lennaart Sirag, Jitske Torenstra, Michael Mackinnon, Irech Castrejon, Brygida Zawadzka
Schematic Design (LP2): Lennaart Sirag, Daniel Eichenberg, Jitske Torenstra, Alexander Forsch, Aleksandra Domian, Fady Yassa
Detail Design (LP3-LP4): Lennaart Sirag, Daniel Eichenberg, Enrico Pintabona, Miguel Iracheta, Aleksandra Domian, Katarina Jovic
Visualization: Antonio Luca Coco, Pavlos Ventouris, Luana La Martina, Luca Piattelli, Stefania Trozi
Landscape Architect: Landschaftsarchitektur Huber
Structural Engineer, MEP, Building Physics, & Fire Protection: Seidl & Partner Gesamtplanung GmbH
Cost Calculation: Wenzl + Wenzl
Programmes: Offices
Client: Rock Capital Group
City: Munich
Country: Germany

Monaco, a six-story office building designed by MVRDV in Munich’s Werksviertel neighborhood, highlights the district’s transformation from industrial roots to a mixed-use work-and-leisure hub. The building blends sustainability with creativity, incorporating a “work” section clad in reclaimed clinker bricks and a “play” section featuring colorful Pretty Plastic shingles made from recycled materials. The project reflects MVRDV’s focus on flexible, multifunctional spaces that cater to modern work environments, while also honoring the area’s vibrant cultural past. Developed by Rock Capital Group, Monaco emphasizes sustainability and employee well-being through innovative design.

Our client Rock Capital Group wanted a building that was ahead of the curve on developing workplace trends. Especially in the post-pandemic years, bringing more freedom, flexibility, and fun to the workplace is growing in popularity. We asked ourselves, how do we make a building that accommodates and clearly expresses that idea? And how, at the same time, do we make a characteristic addition to the neighborhood? With the contrasting shapes and materials of MONACO, we found the answers to those questions.

– MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs

MVRDV Designs Office Building in Germany Clad in Pretty Plastic Shingles

MVRDV has revealed its design for “Monaco,” a six-story office building in Munich’s evolving Werksviertel neighborhood. Known for its industrial past and later as a cultural hotspot, this area has been transforming into a dynamic work-and-leisure district since 2016. Located near MVRDV’s earlier project, WERK12, Monaco draws inspiration from the creative and vibrant history of the Kultfabrik era while showcasing a balance between “work and play” through its architectural design.

The building consists of two distinct sections, each reflecting the area’s mixed-use character. The “work” section is a cubic block clad in reclaimed clinker bricks, sourced from local demolitions and arranged in a patchwork style to highlight their varied origins. The “play” section rises above the northern end of the work block, clad in colorful shingles. Seventy percent of these shingles are produced by Pretty Plastic, an Amsterdam-based manufacturer that creates façade elements entirely from recycled plastic waste. This project marks the first use of Pretty Plastic in Germany, achieved after extensive research to meet the country’s building regulations.

With the sustainability approach of using Pretty Plastic, we are pleased to say that we have once again succeeded in creating a novelty in the Munich office market. This pays off in terms of ESG criteria and the ‘cradle to cradle’ approach, because the recycled plastic comes entirely from old building materials such as former plastic windows, plastic pipes, or similar.

– Peter G. Neumann, managing partner of Rock Capital Group

Monaco’s design represents MVRDV’s broader exploration of how sustainable materials can be incorporated into modern office buildings. It also responds to the evolving demands of contemporary workspaces, emphasizing flexibility and multifunctionality. The layout supports both traditional and modern office environments, with the “work” section offering neutral, adaptable spaces for tenants, while the “play” section includes communal areas such as terraces, a rooftop garden, and spaces designed for social interaction and creative activities.

In addition to the classic work areas, there will be areas in which people can come together specifically for creative and constructive exchange. The office is conceived with the ideals of New Work in mind, and offers an impressive example of how the office of the future can look and function. In MONACO, we again implement the Immune Office concept for a healthier working environment, which we developed in-house and have previously used in our flagship project HEADS.

– Andreas Wißmeier, managing director of Rock Capital Group

The integration of these design elements reflects the district’s transition from its industrial roots—when it housed the Pfanni food factory—to its reinvention as a vibrant cultural and business hub. Monaco’s warm materials and playful design reference both the past and the future of Werksviertel Mitte. The building’s colorful, sustainable façade also contrasts with the predominant use of glass, aluminum panels, and stucco seen elsewhere in the neighborhood, adding a lively touch to the local architectural palette.

Monaco’s name references Helmut-Dietl-Straße, the street where it is located, named after the creator of the famous German TV series Monaco Franze. The project embodies the growing trend toward flexible, sustainable office designs that prioritize employee well-being while remaining contextually aware of their surroundings.

Beyond Monaco, MVRDV has recently made headlines by winning an international competition to design a badminton-focused sports park in Shenzhen, China. The firm also inaugurated Buitenplaats Koningsweg, a mixed-use development on a former WWII German military base, showcasing their commitment to innovative and culturally sensitive architecture.