PolygonGarden Berlin, Germany
Living in Berlin-Friedrichshain: metropolitan flair, vibrant life, hustle and bustle, multicultural offerings, but also noise and traffic. With the PolygonGarden project, Hastrich Keuthage Architekten designed a residential block with a lot of peace and privacy – in the middle of the city.
Project data
Architect
Hastrich Keuthage Architekten, Berlin, DE
Client
Archigon, Projektentwicklung & Baubetreuung GmbH, Berlin, DE
Products
usedGEWE-therm®
Glass supplier
Schollglas Technik GmbH, Lübben
Turning your back on urban noise
The new PolygonGarden residential complex is located between an S-Bahn line and the inner-city Pettenkoferstraße. This means noise pollution from two sides. Hastrich Keuthage Architekten are responding to this situation by placing the block in such a way that it “turns its back” on the S-Bahn. The apartments open onto the street and the inner courtyard with floor-to-ceiling glazed facades. The interior of the block is extensively landscaped, designed with a path system and fountain and forms a small oasis that can be used by all residents. The architects attached great importance to high-quality materials, both in the exterior design and in the interior of the apartments. Materials such as slate, tiles, parquet, stainless steel and, of course, glass predominate here.
A deliberate break with the Wilhelminian environment
The characteristic element of the project is the façades. On Pettenkoferstraße, the concise folding catches the eye from afar in the street line: framed by Wilhelminian masonry, picturesquely jagged glass bands move back and forth between the floor slabs. A deliberate break with the Wilhelminian environment. Due to the slopes, the irregular spikes and the reflections in the glass, the building varies its appearance – depending on where the viewer is standing. The architects attached great importance to ensuring that the glass bands appear as continuous as possible and that divisions only occur when they are necessary – for example, through doors or walls adjoining inside.
This resulted in disc dimensions of up to 3.50 metres wide. The creases of the “folds” were executed without profiles as all-glass corners over the entire height of 2.70 meters. This façade design is also continued around the spacious inner courtyard.
Buffer zones for more privacy
As in other previous construction projects, the architects are also creating private transition areas in the PolygonGarden residential complex with loggias and bay windows. These buffer zones are created by the folding of the glass strips. On the street, the direction of the folds is oriented towards a square-like street junction, which forms a small district centre with cafés and shops. So every loggia has a view of this small square. In the inner courtyard, the loggias are aligned in such a way that they are protected from the eyes of the neighbours and as much privacy as possible is created. Textile, easily movable sun protection panels also contribute to this.
Noise and heat protection with Schollglas
Noise and acoustic sensory overload can severely restrict well-being and health. Especially in urban areas, the home as a place of retreat and the opportunity to have a haven of peace here – in the truest sense of the word – is therefore particularly important. In the PolygonGarden, the main façade faces a busy street. At the same time, the project is designed as a KfW Efficiency House 55. For this reason, the architects opted for GEWE-therm® multi for the glazing facing the street. These multifunctional glasses from SCHOLLGLAS integrate thermal insulation, sound insulation and burglary protection. Sound insulation in particular is particularly effective.
The approximately 3,300 m² of GEWE-therm® insulating glass in the PolygonGarden achieves values of between 37 and 46 dB with an installation thickness of 48 to 52 mm thanks to different soundproofing films. These values are significantly better than those required by building law. The glass ensures the thermal insulation required for KfW 55 by being constructed as 3-fold insulating glass with argon filling and a so-called “warm edge”. The material-optimised spacer is an elementary component of an energy-saving window. It has a special insulating effect in the edge area, which significantly reduces the heat transfer (Ug value).
Enjoy peace and quiet in an inner-city location
While standard insulating glass still had a Ug value of around 3.0 W/m²K until the mid-1990s, this value is 0.6 W/m²K for this urban property. At the same time, the comfort for the user increases and thus the living comfort at the same time. Since the façade at PolygonGarden is almost exclusively made of glass, sun protection also plays a major role. For this reason, highly effective solar control glass was used for the construction of the GEWE-therm® units, which ensure pleasant temperatures in the interiors.
High-tech functional glass from SCHOLLGLAS makes it possible: The residents of Polygongarden can enjoy their inner-city residential area in peace.
