I was extremely fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. In my case at James Stirling Michael Wilford ( later to become Michael Wilford Architects) and the place was Stuttgart where the practice was looking to extend the cultural mile which started with the world-famous Staatsgalerie.

For me the transformation from commercial construction in the UK to German standards was a revelation. As a member of a small design team with my own construction segment of the Music School (next door to the Staatsgalerie) the contrast in terms of the attention to detail, as well as the obsession with quality was remarkable.

In the header above is the last completed building that I worked on. The Sto K Building which was intended to show what can be done with the companies' product portfolio. As fate would have it, this is where I now have my office and I have now worked there for over 20 years.

Below is a google street view of the section of the building that I was responsible for which stops just short of the rear entrance and the projecting canopy which can be seen half way down the street.
The section included :-

The mensa ( seen in the images)
The recording studio
The studios for electronic music
The organ rooms
Elocution practice rooms
The Wandelhalle ( communal space on the roof )