Shimano’s European headquarters reaches its highest point Shimano’s European headquarters is rapidly taking shape on lot 92 of the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. On August 28, the highest point was reached. A good occasion to take a closer look at the three story building of the Japanese high tech manufacturer. ‘We really want to add something to the Campus.’
The Japanese Shimano group is the worldwide market leader in the development and manufacture of bicycle components and fishing rods and reels. Shimano also develops shoes and foot stretchers for rowing. They chose the Campus because of its great abundance of talent, the vibrant innovative community and the logistical connections. Building of the new European headquarters started in April of this year. Now, four months later, the contours are already visible.
A sporting company Gerrit Middag, Business Development Manager for Shimano Europe, is delighted at the progress that has been made. ‘While construction workers everywhere were on holiday, ours worked throughout July and August to ensure the work remained on schedule.’ About three months from now, the former building site will be bustling with activity from the Shimano employees and visitors going in and out. The building has some spectacular features. ‘We’re a sporting company. A major part of the ground floor will be used for parking the bicycles of our employees. You’ll also find dressing rooms and showers on this floor.’ The 2nd and 3rd floors offer 200 flexible workspaces. With 186 employees there’s plenty of room to grow when using the 4th floor, which has capacity for another 50 employees in future.
Greenest building on Campus The Japanese company places a big emphasis on sustainability. The new European headquarters, a design by architect Thomas Rau, is further proof of that ambition. The result is the greenest building on the campus so far. Most of the building materials are eco-friendly and reusable. Thanks to a roof full of shiny solar panels, it generates 50 percent of its energy needs, and water to flush the toilets is constantly being reused. Thanks to these sustainable choices, the building plan was awarded a BREEAM 4 certificate, the second highest grade in sustainable buildings.’
Transparent company The facades are largely made of glass panes. Lamellae alongside the windows ensures sunlight doesn’t directly shine into employees’ faces. ‘The transparency of the building symbolises that we are an open company. We’re not only here to profit from facilities and the wealth of knowledge that the High Tech Campus Eindhoven offers, we also want to share our ideas and experiences with the other companies on Campus. I think we can really add something to the High Tech Campus’ theme of Sports & Technology, and we look forward to some great collaborations and innovations in the future. See you soon!’
