District authority office

Bespoke design for new district authority office in Bavaria, Germany

The new district administration building in the German district of Landshut combines clear structures with exemplary architectural design. After around three and a half years of planning and construction, this modern administrative centre, designed by the architects dasch zürn + partner (Stuttgart/Munich), was completed in 2025. With a gross floor area of around 24,150 m², the new four-storey building can accommodate around 600 workstations and brings all of the district’s administrative departments under one roof in the municipality of Essenbach.

The building’s striking shape, in the outline of a butterfly, blends harmoniously into its surroundings and is unmistakeable, even from an aerial view. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows take up the entire façade, flooding the interior with light. The combination of light-coloured wooden features, concrete and different shades of grey inside the building brings out its timeless character.

The consistent design concept has also been carried through into the furnishing of the rooms. For the plenary chamber, the design team opted for S 845 and S 847 conference chairs from Thonet, both of which form part of the S 840 range designed by LEPPER SCHMIDT SOMMERLADE. These chairs meet the specified brief exceptionally well. A distinctive feature of this product range is the pronounced separation between the seat shell and the frame. When it comes to the shape of the seat shell, Thonet has taken inspiration from the automotive world and translated the same contours into moulded plywood. The ergonomically shaped seat shell, with its special upholstery, is exceptionally comfortable, even during long plenary sessions. The dark grey upholstery chosen for the plenary chamber provides a deliberate contrast with the light-coloured wood of the seat shells.

In total, the Landshut district administration building has been furnished with six S 845 DRW chairs and 100 S 847 with custom-made seat shells. A special rocking mechanism was developed for this purpose. The upholstered seat shell is connected via an adapter to a track system installed in the floor of the conference room. A built-in spring ensures that the seat automatically returns to its original position once no longer in use. This creates a consistent sense of calm and orderliness in the plenary chamber.

The option of bespoke manufacturing and the ability to customise products are firmly embedded in Thonets’s design and production philosophy. Many Thonet models can be tailored to the customer’s specific requirements in terms of materials, finishes, upholstery and design features. The S 847 and S 845 conference chairs come in a range of different veneers and stain finishes. Further leather or fabric upholstery options are also available, creating customised looks to suit a wide variety of interior styles.