A. Lange & Söhne lays cornerstone for manufactory extension
Glashütte, September 2013
Ergonomically optimised working conditions, streamlined processes and a balanced ecological footprint are just some of the advantages of Lange Uhren GmbH’s new manufactory extension. During a reception at the construction site, Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid and company founder Walter Lange laid the cornerstone for the new five-storey building.
The A. Lange & Söhne construction site in Glashütte is abuzz with activity. The structural framework of the manufactory extension is gradually taking shape. Having completed the basement level and base plate, Dresden-based building contractor WOLFF & MÜLLER is already erecting the first walls for the entrance area on the ground level. This is where Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid and Walter Lange set the cornerstone with a time capsule. It contains a newspaper, the current A. Lange & Söhne catalogue, the latest edition of the in-house newsletter and a deed with details about the construction project.
“In view of the continuous growth of the past years, our current buildings have reached their limits in terms of space,” Wilhelm Schmid explained during the cornerstone laying ceremony. “The extension was an essential step in order to improve processes that had become more and more convoluted due to the distribution of manufacturing activities across several buildings,” Schmid added, “and is a much-needed response to the positive trend in business.”
The new two-wing building has a floor space of roughly 5.400 square metres for parts production, manual engraving, and watchmaking workshops. A sky-bridge over Altenberger Straße will connect the extension with the Lange II production building. Climate control measures include a walkable double-skin façade. The extension reflects the regional architectural style and it blends perfectly with the existing ensemble of buildings. Its use of geothermal energy and green electricity for the operation of the heat pump makes the new building carbon neutral. Work on the interior of the building will begin after completion of the structural framework this coming winter.
Milestones of the new extension
Ground-breaking ceremony: 5 September 2012
Laying of the cornerstone: 3 September 2013
Topping-out ceremony: Winter 2013/2014
Completion: Spring 2015