Shanghai Headquarters R&D Center: The Future Laboratory of the Automotive Industry

Shanghai Headquarters R&D Center: The Future Laboratory of the Automotive Industry

Address: Shanghai, China
Area: 5560 square meters for Phase I and 2140 square meters for Phase II
Keywords: office furniture, office environment, automotive industry, Shanghai headquarters, R&D center, technology and culture, enterprise branding, digital concept, health and well-being. Gensler Design: Mercedes Benz Shanghai R&D Center - Future office space integrating technology and culture



In 2025, Mercedes Benz will set up an important strategic chess piece in Jinqiao District, Shanghai - the Global Research and Development Center. This standalone building occupies 5 floors and is designed by renowned design firm Gensler. It is not only Mercedes Benz's Shanghai headquarters in China, but also its future oriented research and development center. It carries the mission of exploring the forefront of the automotive industry, skillfully integrating technology and humanities to create an office space that not only showcases the brand characteristics of the enterprise, but also is full of innovative vitality.



From the appearance, the R&D center adopts a modern style glass curtain wall structure, with transparent glass and metal frame, which is simple and atmospheric against the blue sky. The prominent "Mercedes Benz" brand logo on the top of the building and the words "Research&Development" below clearly indicate its identity as a research and development hub in the automotive industry. The three black flags hanging on the outer side of the first floor are printed with the classic Mercedes Benz three pointed star logo, strengthening the brand identity and giving the entire building a high-end and professional atmosphere.

Digital Concept: The River of Flowing Data

Entering the R&D center, the most eye-catching feature is the "Digital River" design concept proposed by the Gensler team. This concept compares Shanghai's historic waterways with the constantly flowing digital information, endowing the space with new life extension through a series of design elements.

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The carpet pattern cleverly imitates the convergence of the seaside and rivers, as if data slowly flows on the ground; The inspiration for the design of the ceiling comes from the rhythm of the river, allowing people to feel a flowing sensation like a musical piece while strolling through it, with both gradual and intermittent movements. This design that concretizes abstract digital concepts fills the entire office environment with a sense of technology and art, symbolizing the close connection between the physical and virtual domains.

In the lobby and the first floor of the elevator, the design team has taken digital concepts to the extreme. They cleverly reshaped the existing triangular cylinder into a large LED screen that welcomes visitors, providing a digital experiential atmosphere. The customized pattern graphics blend abstraction, technology, and automotive themes, enhancing the unique identity of the space and allowing anyone entering the R&D center to immediately feel a strong technological atmosphere.

Health and Welfare: A Human Centered Office Environment

For a research and development center, the creativity and work efficiency of employees are crucial. The Gensler team is well aware of this and fully integrates the concept of health and well-being into their design, creating a comfortable and healthy office environment.

The office space occupies 3 floors, with each floor covering 1150 square meters. The planar functions have been planned as a whole, fully utilizing natural light and blending open workspaces, collaborative areas, and dedicated workspaces. In addition to fixed workstations, each workgroup has also arranged designated collaboration areas to ensure optimal spacing between workstations, creating a favorable environment and comfort for team collaboration.



The selection of office furniture here has been carefully considered and conforms to ergonomic principles. All facilities, such as lighting, air purification systems, high-performance acoustic design, etc., are committed to creating a healthy space. From the initial conceptual planning to material selection and MEP design, the workplace has embedded health standards to achieve WELL certification.

In addition, the R&D center is equipped with first-class supporting facilities, such as a one-stop shared service center, book area, meditation room, yoga studio, fitness room, etc. The Gensler team even expanded and redesigned the bathroom to meet the company's high standards and comfort requirements. These measures fully reflect the concern for the health and well-being of employees, allowing them to relax and exercise in addition to high-intensity research and development work.

Frontiers of the Automotive Industry: ADAS Workshop and Concept Car Display

As the research and development center of Mercedes Benz, facilities closely related to the automotive industry are naturally indispensable here. Among them, the 2300 square meter automotive testing workshop can be regarded as the core, divided into two floors, including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) workshop, testing laboratory, software laboratory, and office space.



The center of the workshop is a huge two-story atrium decorated with graphics paying tribute to the iconic Mercedes Benz star logo and showcasing the latest concept cars. This atrium design is highly multifunctional and can be transformed into an activity space equipped with large LED screens, linking the crowd interaction on the first and second floor terraces, becoming an important platform for internal communication and display in the R&D center.



In order to address privacy and shading needs, specially designed films are used on the exterior walls of the workshop. Up close, the pattern appears abstract; From a distance, it can blend into a unique Mercedes concept car image, expanding the visual impact of the workshop. This clever design not only meets practical needs but also showcases the company's branding.

The advanced equipment and clean environment in the ADAS workshop provide strong support for research and development work. The white walls and ceilings, as well as the neatly arranged rectangular white LED lights, make the entire space bright and even. On the smooth surface of light gray, yellow lines divide the area and guide the flow. The layout of multiple sets of equipment and workbenches is well-organized, and the black screens and displays on the equipment demonstrate the precision and rigor of automotive industry research and development.

The symbiosis of technology and humanities: a model for future office work

The design of Mercedes Benz Shanghai R&D Center perfectly embodies the integration of technology and culture. The application of digital concepts such as "digital river" has made technology no longer cold, but tangible and knowable; The emphasis on health and well-being reflects the humanistic care that puts people first; And ADAS workshops, concept car displays, etc., demonstrate its leading position and branding characteristics in the automotive industry.

The Gensler team has carefully designed the office environment, office furniture, and other details to create a space that is suitable for efficient research and development work, while also allowing employees to feel cared for and inspired. This research and development center located at the Shanghai headquarters is not only an important part of Mercedes Benz's global strategy, but also a model for future office space design, providing valuable reference for the construction of research and development centers in the automotive industry and other industries.

Here, technology and humanities are no longer separate elements, but blend together like a "digital river", nourishing the soil of innovation and development together. I believe that in such an environment, Mercedes Benz's R&D team will unleash even stronger creativity and write a new chapter for the future of the automotive industry.