Rapunzel World

  • Location:
    Legau, Germany
  • Type of use:
    mixed-use
  • Year of construction:
    2022
  • Size:
    6.600 m²
  • Architect:
    haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050

Necessity

Rapunzel is a German organic food company that wanted to make its values and guidelines for holistic and wholesome nutrition, as well as its practical implementation methods, accessible to everyone. That is why it is an experience centre both inside and out, offering not only shopping opportunities in the supermarket and bistro, but also visibility through the roasting facility and exhibition, for example. The architecture of the Rapunzel world feels committed to the principles of an ecologically sensible circular economy. Building technology was kept to a minimum. We use daylight and the microclimate and largely do without mechanical air conditioning. The floating and protective roof band that soars up into the Rapunzel Tower, the wings of the building stretching out into the natural environment, and the careful choice of building materials as regional as possible will also illustrate these principles to everyone entering the visitor center.

Affordability

The new visitor center is designed to be public and inviting and is intended to make Rapunzel's leitmotif "We make organic out of love" tangible for visitors. A house full of discoveries that invites guests to linger and participate with varied and emotional imparting of knowledge. The address-forming building sculpture welcomes every visitor from afar through the northern high point - the Rapunzel Tower. The fairytale garden surrounds the house and extends to the roof. An open and invitingly accessible sculpture where at the end the crow's nest allows a view of the landscape. The gesture is accompanied by the large, floating roof that spans everything and wraps itself around the visitor center like a band, but does not limit inside and outside views.

Words from Juror and SHIFT Ambassador Bruno Sauer:

“Rapunzel World is like a big straw hat that gives climate protection to the community, that creates space to bring people together and sends a message to the environment that things can be done in a good way: bringing value to a local community, reducing energy impact to a minimum, listening to the natural environment and applying material innovation."

Simplicity and Appropriateness

Daylight is used in the visitor center and mechanical air conditioning is largely dispensed with. Here we used what nature provides us with as a microclimate on site to build a robust and therefore durable house that works with nature and not against nature. The position and arrangement of the rooms and the window openings were determined according to microclimatic aspects. The wide roof overhang ensures natural shading of the daylight-optimized rooms. The ventilation is natural. Only the areas of the roasting plant still have to be mechanically ventilated, since the heat loads here exceed normal levels. The building was connected to the well-developed local heating network and the solar power generation from Rapunzel. A life cycle assessment was drawn up and the energy involved, recyclability and transport were decisive factors in the choice of materials. Whenever possible, preference was given to renewable or recyclable building materials.

Sufficiency and Efficiency

The heating of the Rapunzel World primarily relies on efficient underfloor heating systems, which can also be used for cooling in the summer. Additionally, the upper floor is climate-controlled using thermal activation. The roasting facility generates significant waste heat of over 140 MWh during operation, which, with an annual roasting volume of 300 tonnes of coffee, can be effectively harnessed. The new visitor centre has a heat demand of only 110 MWh/a. Consequently, we have integrated a system for recovering waste heat from the exhaust gases, optimising the building’s heating. Furthermore, the visitor centre and production building are connected via a district heating line, allowing waste heat to be utilised in production as well. Through these measures, up to 85% of the visitor centre’s heat demand can be met by waste heat, resulting in substantial energy savings.

Scalability

Natural and renewable building materials such as wood and clay were used and the building services were reduced to a necessary minimum. No styrofoam was used for the insulation and the subfloor, but recycled foam glass gravel. All materials, colors and coatings are mineral and ecologically carefully selected. Here we used what nature provides us with as a microclimate on site to build a robust and therefore durable house that works with nature and not against nature. Regional Building Materials: Almost all the craft businesses that were involved in the construction of the Rapunzel World are located in the immediate vicinity of Legau. From local wood to the neighboring gravel works, local materials could be used in order to keep the ecological impact of long transport routes low. The building not only strengthens the region, but also helps the environment by avoiding emissions and resource consumption in transport.

Beauty

The address-forming building sculpture welcomes everybody from afar through the northern high point - the Rapunzel Tower. The fairytale garden extends to the roof with a view over the landscape. The whole Rapunzel Garden was Inspired by the surrounding Allgäu landscape with hills, flower meadows, an orchard, etc. The gesture of the building is accompanied by the large, floating roof. The engobed bricks for the roof appear similar to the wooden shingles traditionally used in the Allgäu region for roofs. However, clay is more durable, absorbs water and releases it again, naturally regulating the climate in the project. Observing the natural cycles of nature is a basis of organic farming. In the visitor center exhibition, visitors learn everything about the aspects of healthy nutrition, about its cultivation and processing. We have also committed ourselves to this principle of an ecological circular economy in the architecture of the Rapunzel World.

Unique Principles of Success

1. Architecture that Engages All Senses

A central principle of the Rapunzel World is to create an architectural experience that appeals to all human senses. The building is not only a place for production and retail, but also a space for discovery, inspiration, and cultural expression. Visitors can see, smell, taste, and experience the processes behind organic food production in a direct and immersive way. The exhibition area provides interactive stations addressing cultivation, fair trade, production, and sustainable living. The coffee roastery is deliberately designed to make roasting processes visible and perceptible, while the characteristic aroma of freshly roasted coffee becomes part of the spatial experience. In this way, the building communicates Rapunzel’s values in a tangible and memorable manner.


2. Experiential Design and Spatial Storytelling

The spatial configuration of the building creates a continuous narrative journey for visitors. At its core is the large spiral wooden staircase, the “Rapunzel braid,” which connects all levels from the basement wine cellar to the exhibition areas and the rooftop terrace with panoramic views. This element functions simultaneously as circulation, structural centerpiece, and symbolic connector between programmatic zones. The interior layout encourages exploration and discovery: glazed partitions provide visual links to production areas such as the bakery and roastery, while gallery levels open up additional spatial perspectives. The resulting spatial complexity transforms the visitor center into an interactive environment defined by movement, curiosity, and layered perception.


3. Attention to Detail and Craftsmanship

The identity of the Rapunzel World is strongly shaped by a high level of detail and material sensitivity. Elements such as copper downpipes integrated into planting systems or roof tiles with subtle colour variations contribute to a distinctive and playful architectural expression. These details reflect a clear commitment to craftsmanship and reinforce the building’s unique character. The spiral staircase itself exemplifies this approach at a larger scale: constructed from laminated veneer lumber and assembled in prefabricated segments, it required precise engineering and a high level of fabrication expertise. The combination of technical complexity and artisanal quality defines a key aspect of the architectural language.


4. Collaboration and Participatory Design Process

A defining principle of the project was the intensive collaboration between architects, clients, and craftsmen throughout all phases of design and construction. Trades were involved from an early stage and were recognized as specialists in their respective fields. By integrating their expertise and allowing a degree of creative freedom, the project fostered strong identification with the building among all participants. Many contributors began to perceive the structure as a shared project or even as “their” house. This collaborative process enabled practical knowledge and material intelligence to directly inform architectural decisions, resulting in a highly integrated and collectively shaped outcome.


5. Regional Responsibility and Contextual Sustainability

Sustainability in the Rapunzel World is closely linked to regional responsibility and the reduction of transport-related impacts. Wherever possible, materials were sourced from local craft businesses, strengthening regional value chains while significantly reducing transportation distances and associated emissions. This approach extends into the landscape design, which is inspired by the surrounding Allgäu region. Flower meadows, orchards, hills, and vegetable gardens form a diverse outdoor environment that reflects local ecological conditions. The tropical greenhouse, where coffee plants are cultivated, creates a direct spatial and thematic connection between production, exhibition, and landscape, unifying the overall concept under a coherent sustainability framework.

Limitations

A key challenge of the Rapunzel World was the integration of highly diverse functions within one building envelope. Visitor centre, food production, retail, gastronomy, education, and event spaces each followed different regulatory frameworks, hygiene standards, and operational requirements. This significantly increased planning complexity and required continuous coordination throughout the project. As the programme evolved during the design process, new functional additions placed further pressure on spatial consistency, approval procedures, and technical planning. In particular, combining food production with public accessibility and exhibition areas demanded repeated adaptations and compromises.

Although the project follows a strong sustainability narrative through regional materials, integrated landscapes, and reduced transport distances, not all ambitions could be fully realised. Hygiene zoning, technical building services, energy separation, and food-processing standards sometimes required more conventional or energy-intensive solutions, limiting the use of low-tech strategies.

The project’s strong site-specific character also makes direct transferability difficult. Its spatial complexity, functional overlap, and bespoke craftsmanship are hard to replicate in more standardised or cost-driven contexts. In retrospect, clearer early separation of regulatory zones, technical systems, and project phases could have reduced later complexity. Nevertheless, the iterative process also enabled innovation, resulting in a highly specific, adaptable, and richly layered building.

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