50 Hertz, Berlin, DE
Functionally variable façade glazing.
In the area of tension between Berlin’s main railway station and the art campus of Europacity, the transmission system operator 50Hertz has built its new company headquarters. The design comes from the Graz-based office LOVE architecture and urbanism. In an international competition, they were able to prevail against top-class competitors. The jury particularly praised the functional flexibility and openness of the concept.
Architecturally, it is primarily characterized by the idea of the external load-bearing system, whose sloping columns that act like a net make the client’s business area pictorial. The horizontal rhythm of the floor levels superimposes this structure, while the glazing behind the net allows views of the interior building cores and stairwells. This creates an unusual depth effect that contributes to the dematerialization of the building. The overall sculptural approach of the building is further emphasized at night by the lighting of the stairwells and individual column elements.
Project data
Architect
LOVE architecture and urbanism, Graz
Client
50 Hertz Transmission GmbH, Berlin
Façade builder
Sommer Fassadensysteme-Stahlbau-Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Döhlau, DE
Products
usedGEWE-therm® made of GEWE-safe® and GEWE-dur® H, GEWE-safe® made of GEWE-dur®, GEWE-dur® ESG-H with screen printing
Glass supplier
Schollglas Sachsen GmbH, Nossen
Construction and safety go hand in hand
The design idea of the external columns allowed a complete spatial and functional separation of the supporting structure and the façade glazing. In the spirit of the desired transparency, floor-to-ceiling glass in fixed frames was used. The modern multi-pane insulating glass GEWE-therm® multi from SCHOLLGLAS provides excellent thermal insulation for the approximately 6,800 m² glass building envelope.
Because horizontal divisions were dispensed with and 50Hertz employees can approach the panes directly from the inside, the insulating glass also has a fall-protection function. Depending on the requirements and installation situation, GEWE-therm® was therefore mainly made of laminated safety glass GEWE-safe®.
Different lenses as if cast from a single mould
A particular challenge was to preserve the architecturally homogeneous and transparent impression that the façade was to convey in the sense of the design idea. In addition to the insulating glass with thermal insulation coating, the version with solar control glass was also used in certain installation situations – in some cases, both functions were even installed directly next to each other. However, there should be no visual difference, neither in the normal view and view during the day nor in the special lighting scenarios that LOVE architecture and urbanism have planned for the night. By using selective solar control glass with a neutral appearance, SCHOLLGLAS was able to meet these requirements: The glass shell of the building looks “as if it has been cast from a single mould” – and is enlivened by the different reflections of the sky and the surrounding buildings from every angle.
Glass shell without distracting elements
The glass balustrades on the cantilevered components also fit into this homogeneous picture. With their structure made of GEWE-safe® laminated safety glass clamped only at the bottom, they support the architectural idea of dematerialisation: from the street, only the load-bearing handrail is recognisable as a fine line. But even where transparency was not required or desired for reasons of spatial function, the glass shell retains its uniform appearance. Opaque, non-opaque façade panels made of GEWE-dur-H® with screen printing were used here. The safety glass GEWE-dur-H® has also been subjected to the Heat Soak test and, with its high level of application safety, complies with the German building rules list, so that it can be used as a regulated building product without approval in individual cases.
A special design landmark
With the 50Hertz Netzquartier, the company has set a special design landmark – for which it received the world’s first diamond from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). With this award, the DGNB recognises projects with a high level of sustainable quality – and outstanding design and building culture. The prerequisite for the diamond award is a DGNB certificate in platinum or gold.
With sophisticated production and delivery logistics, SCHOLLGLAS supported the smooth construction operations and ensured the on-time delivery of over 1,700 glasses with a total area of around 7,400 m².
