Early in Grace’s exploration of the West Wing in Resident Evil Requiem, you will discover a heavy door sealed with a handwheel near the Filing Room. When Grace tries to turn the wheel, it snaps clean off — leaving behind nothing but a hexagonal protrusion embedded in the door mechanism. The game prompts you to “find a way to unseal the door without a handwheel,” but gives no further clues about what tool you need or where to find it. This guide explains exactly how to open the Cold Storage door, where to get the Wrench, the prerequisites you need first, and what critical item awaits inside.
⚡ Quick Answer
You need the Wrench to open the door with the hexagonal protrusion. The Wrench is located in the Custodian’s Office in the West Wing, sitting on the desk beside the typewriter. You need the ID Wristband (Level 1) to unlock the Security Door leading to this area. Once you have the Wrench, return to the Cold Storage door, interact with the hexagonal protrusion, and select the Wrench to open it. Inside you will find the Artificial Heart.
Where Is the Door Without a Handwheel?
The broken handwheel door leads to the Cold Storage room. It is located on the 1st floor of the West Wing, in the northwest corner of the map, at the end of the corridor west of the Filing Room and Dining Room.
You will likely encounter this door the first time you explore the West Wing while searching for the Moon Quartz in the Chairman’s Office. When Grace interacts with the handwheel, it breaks off in her hands, revealing a hexagonal metal protrusion where the wheel’s shaft connected to the internal locking mechanism.
The game displays the objective message: “Find a way to unseal the door without a handwheel.” At this point you cannot do anything with the door yet. You will need to progress further through the story before you can return with the right tool.
This door is intentionally encountered before you can open it. Continue with the West Wing exploration — complete the Chairman’s Office Puzzle Box, collect the Moon Quartz, and get the Red Jewel from the Unicorn Trinket Box. You will return here later with the Wrench after progressing through the East Wing.
What You Need: The Wrench
The tool required to open the hexagonal protrusion is the Wrench — a key item found in the Custodian’s Office in the West Wing. The Wrench fits perfectly onto the hexagonal bolt, allowing Grace to manually operate the internal locking mechanism that the handwheel was originally attached to.
However, reaching the Custodian’s Office requires the ID Wristband (Level 1), which means you will need to complete several steps in the East Wing first. Here is the full chain of prerequisites.
Prerequisites Before You Can Get the Wrench
The Wrench is behind a Level 1 Security Door in the West Wing. To unlock Level 1 doors, you need the ID Wristband, which is found in the East Wing. Here is the full prerequisite chain in order:
🔗 Progression Chain to the Wrench
If you have been following the natural progression of the story and already have the Level 1 Wristband, you can head directly to the Custodian’s Office. If not, check our guide on the Level 1 ID Wristband location for the full walkthrough.
Wrench Location: Custodian’s Office (Step-by-Step)
From the Central Hall, enter the West Wing and head toward the Kitchen. The corridor continues past the Kitchen entrance on the left side.
A short distance past the Kitchen, you will see a Level 1 Security Door on the left. Use your ID Wristband (Level 1) on the scanner to unlock it.
Walk through the security door and continue down the corridor. You will pass a whiteboard on the right wall with a Construction Notice document — pick it up for lore.
Turn left into the first room on the east side. This is the Custodian’s Office.
The Wrench is sitting on the desk next to the typewriter (save point). Pick it up.
Map showing the Wrench location in the Custodian’s Office — West Wing, 1st Floor
The Wrench sits on the desk beside the typewriter in the Custodian’s Office
The Custodian’s Office is a safe room with a typewriter. Save your progress before heading out, especially if you are low on resources. There is also a Lockpick in a locker in this room — grab it for opening locked drawers that contain Rare Metal.
If you continue past the Custodian’s Office and head south through the corridor, you will enter the Garage. This triggers a cutscene involving a zombie-driven bulldozer that you must survive. Make sure you are ready for combat before entering. The Garage contains the Organ Transport Box, which is also important for progression.
How to Open the Cold Storage Door
With the Wrench in your inventory, head back to the Cold Storage door in the northwest corner of the West Wing’s 1st floor. You can reach it by heading through the corridor that passes the Dining Room and Filing Room.
Approach the Cold Storage door with the broken handwheel.
Interact with the hexagonal protrusion on the door.
When prompted, select the Wrench from your inventory.
Grace will use the Wrench to manually operate the locking mechanism and unseal the door.
Using the Wrench on the hexagonal protrusion to open the Cold Storage door
The Zombie Chef patrols the Kitchen area of the West Wing, and his route can take him near the corridor leading to Cold Storage. If you have not killed or avoided him already, be prepared to sneak past or fight. The Chef is a powerful enemy that is better avoided unless you have enough ammo to take him down.
What Is Inside Cold Storage (Artificial Heart)
Cold Storage is a small refrigerated room. Immediately upon entering, you will see the Artificial Heart hanging on a rack directly in front of you. Pick it up — this is the reason you needed to open this door.
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Artificial Heart | One of two artificial organs (along with the Artificial Lungs) needed to reanimate the Organless Corpse in the Examination Room. Reviving the corpse is required to obtain the ID Wristband (Level 2). |
| Scrap | Crafting material found inside Cold Storage. Use it to craft ammo or healing items. |
While Cold Storage might seem like a minor side room, it contains a mandatory progression item. Without the Artificial Heart, you cannot complete the Organless Corpse puzzle, which means you cannot access the Isolation Ward or obtain the final Star Quartz needed to escape the Care Center.
The Artificial Heart is part of a critical puzzle chain: Heart + Lungs → reanimate corpse → get Level 2 Wristband → enter Isolation Ward → access Security Manager’s Office → get Star Quartz → open the Quartz Door and escape.
What to Do After Getting the Artificial Heart
Once you have the Artificial Heart, you also need the Artificial Lungs to complete the Organless Corpse puzzle. Here is the full progression path from this point:
If you have not already, head to the Garage (south of the Custodian’s Office) and collect the Organ Transport Box from the back of the van.
Open the Organ Transport Box using the instructions from the Leatherbound Notebook (obtained from the Lead Researcher’s Office Puzzle Box). The solution is: switch dial to HAND → set right switch to middle → press Button 5 → press Button 2 → switch dial back to AUTO. This gives you the Artificial Lungs.
Take both the Artificial Heart and Artificial Lungs to the Examination Room in the East Wing.
Insert both organs into the Organless Corpse on the table. This triggers a reanimation sequence — the corpse will come alive and attack.
Defeat the zombie (it will collapse on its own after flailing) and loot the ID Wristband (Level 2) from its body.
Use the Level 2 Wristband to unlock the Isolation Ward near the Examination Room and continue your search for the final Star Quartz.
Before heading to the Examination Room, consider opening the Examination Room Safe (code: Right 30 – Left 10 – Right 50 on Standard) for three Antique Coins if you have not done so already. You should also make sure you have dealt with the Sturdy Padlock in the Lead Researcher’s Office and obtained the Sun Quartz if you have not yet.
The Artificial Heart and Artificial Lungs each take one inventory slot. If you are running low on space, use the Storage Box in the Guard Office (1st floor, East Wing) or the Custodian’s Office (West Wing) to deposit items you do not immediately need before heading to the Examination Room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What tool opens the door with the hexagonal protrusion?
The Wrench, found in the Custodian’s Office in the West Wing. It fits onto the hexagonal bolt left behind after the handwheel breaks off.
Where is the Wrench in Resident Evil Requiem?
On the desk next to the typewriter in the Custodian’s Office. This office is located behind a Level 1 Security Door in the West Wing, just past the Kitchen area.
Can I open the Cold Storage door without the Wrench?
No. The hexagonal protrusion cannot be interacted with using any other tool or weapon. The Wrench is the only item that works.
Do I need the ID Wristband (Level 1) to get the Wrench?
Yes. The Custodian’s Office is behind a Level 1 Security Door. You get the ID Wristband from the corpse near the Lead Researcher’s Office in the East Wing.
What is inside Cold Storage?
The Artificial Heart, which is one of two organs needed for the Organless Corpse puzzle in the Examination Room. You also find some Scrap for crafting.
Is Cold Storage optional?
No. The Artificial Heart inside is mandatory for game progression. Without it, you cannot reanimate the corpse, get the Level 2 Wristband, or access the Isolation Ward to find the Star Quartz.
Where do I find the Artificial Lungs?
Inside the Organ Transport Box found in the Garage. You need the Leatherbound Notebook from the Lead Researcher’s Office Puzzle Box to know how to open it.
The Zombie Chef is blocking my path to Cold Storage. What do I do?
The Chef patrols the Kitchen and nearby corridors. You can either sneak past by timing your movement when he walks away, or fight him with the Requiem revolver or Hemolytic Injectors. Killing the Chef drops the Pantry Key, which unlocks extra supplies.
