This transformation of the space is unique: where sofas, beds, and living room furnishings were once displayed across a vast area, new, attractive office and collaboration spaces are now being created for a modern health insurance company.
Inhalt
In the three-story retail building next to our AlphaSpace Aachen, the Trösser furniture store had occupied the bottom two floors. Its move out in August 2025—which was initially regrettable—turned out to be a great opportunity: The former retail building is being transformed into an attractive, vibrant mixed-use property that perfectly complements the Nord neighborhood.
Here's what's planned
While upstairs McFIT has extended its lease for the long term and will be carrying out extensive renovations on the gym starting this summer, remodeling has been underway on the ground floor and first floor since the start of the year. Two modern retail spaces are being created downstairs: Louis Motorcycle Apparel and Equipment is confirmed to move into the larger space. A prospective tenant for the smaller space has also already been found. To accommodate the move-in of the health insurance provider BIG direkt gesund in mid-2027, optimal working conditions are being created on the first floor, also covering approximately 2,000 square meters.
“With the move to Quartier Nord, we are consciously investing in BIG’s future. The location offers ideal conditions for BIG to continue growing as a modern employer,” says Markus Bäumer, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board at BIG direkt gesund. In addition to the excellent location in Aachen, sustainability factors were also decisive. The new spaces will be modernized to the standards of a new building and will enable significant CO₂ savings compared to the previous location in Aachen-Rothe Erde.
How the New Offices Are Being Built
But how do you turn a furniture store into cool offices? The completely closed facade on the first floor is being opened up to the outside by installing large windows, which will allow plenty of natural light to flood into the rooms in the future. “Inside, we’re creating beautiful ‘room-within-a-room’ solutions with plenty of glass,” says Landmarken project manager Daniel Gilles. In the central zone, meeting rooms, so-called “think tanks” for focused work, kitchen and common areas, as well as a customer center are being created. The employees’ offices are arranged around this core. The entire space is fully air-conditioned.
“The conversion of the former furniture store into a modern office and customer center demonstrates just how much potential lies in the intelligent transformation of existing properties,” says Jan Oelze, managing partner of pro m², whose firm was responsible for the design.
The signed lease agreement has a term of ten years. This sends a strong signal about the location and the successful transformation of the neighborhood.
3 Questions for — Jan Hilgier, Head of Leasing in Aachen
Jan, converting retail space into office environments is anything but standard practice in the industry. How did that come about?
After the furniture store moved out, we were faced with the challenge of finding a suitable new use for these 4,000 m². The location was excellent, but the space was large and had little natural light.
That's where the architects at pro m² came in?
Yes, we had already worked closely with Jan Oelze and his team in the past. His client, BIG direkt gesund, was looking for a new location that combined sustainability, attractive working conditions, and cost-effectiveness. pro m² ultimately demonstrated the economic, planning, and technical feasibility of the project.
And the result?
We are creating a space for BIG that meets all requirements. The renovation is not only more cost-effective than new construction, but also more sustainable thanks to significantly improved energy efficiency in the existing building. With the fitness center upstairs and retail space on the ground floor, we will ultimately have a forward-thinking, mixed-use property that will function effectively for the long term.
