C&A Headquarters, Düsseldorf, Germany

Throughout the seasons, slender pine trees form a guard of honour along the drive up to the entrance of the office building and direct the eye onto an oval stone sculpture. In its centre fragrant lavenders and alliums blossom.

Polished oval stones reflect the daylight from the sky into both inner courtyards. The smooth oval shape is continued to an island of planting within an area of gravel. The courtyards are designed with different colours and planting schemes to help orientation. Clipped Taxus trees lead people out of the building into the hilly landscape park.

Oval groves of trees, underplanted with perennials, grasses and groundcover, offer shade in the summer.

Along with rows of flowering shrubs they distract the eye from the multi-storey carpark. A footpath leads through the valleys with their grass waves, inspiring movement and new ideas.