With global demand for its watches growing, A. Lange & Söhne, based in Glashütte in the German state of Saxony, has been expanding its production facilities over the past few years. The latest step took place on September 5, with a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction on the company’s new annex.
A. Lange & Söhne is already the largest employer in the town of Glashütte, providing jobs for more than 500 people, and its watchmaking workshops are already spread across several buildings. The new annex will provide more than 11,000 square meters of additional space for the movement-assembly departments and the machines that produce delicate movement components. Lange CEO Wilhelm Schmid, who took part in the groundbreaking ceremony along with Walter Lange, great-grandson of brand founder Ferdinand A Lange, welcomes the start of construction. “The annex was long overdue,” Schmid says. “The new building will allow us to clearly improve production processes and working conditions.”
Wilhelm Schmid (left) and Walter Lange at the groundbreaking ceremony
The two-part extension has a gross floor area of 11,300 square meters. A skybridge across Altenberger Strasse will connect the new structure with the existing “Lange II” building, currently the largest production venue. On the side facing the street, three floors will be devoted to production of movement components. The rear wing of the building will provide five floors of watchmaker workshops. The double walk-through facade has a climate-control function and allows distraction-free tours in these zones. With its discreet design, the new building is intended to blend in well with the existing complex and takes the geographical particularities of the area into account. Architecturally, Lange designed the facility for maximum ecological efficiency, with a geothermal heat pump used for heating, cooling, and hot water. The foundation of the building will consist of 70 concrete piles driven into the ground to a depth of up to 20 meters.
The structural work is scheduled to begin this coming spring and to be completed within two and a half years. A. Lange & Söhne says it will invest more than 10 million euros in the new facility.
Illustration of the new A. Lange & Söhne building in Glashutte
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