GSD 6204 BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

PERFORMATIVE DOUBLE LAYERED SYSTEMS : THE DEBIS TOWER BY RENZO PIANO

MARIO DARTISTA PETER OH YEHRE SUH ANDREW VARELA

Architecture daujourdhui, n.308, December 1996, p.70

The fall of the Berlin Wall has resulted in the reconstruction of the reunited German capital. A frenzied mechanism of property development and relocation has been set in motion, including the relocation of the government back to its old seat. The development of the Postdamer Platz has become the great symbol of the unification of Berlin. Historically very significant, it was the social, cultural and economic center during the 1920s and 30s. It was the wonder of Europe. The destruction from World War II and the political arrangements of the Cold War transformed the site into a deserted strip dividing East and West Berlin. In addition to the new complex of buildings, the site also comprises the great complex of the Kulturforum, made up of the National Gallery, the Berlin Philharmonie, and the State Library. Pianos master plan for the Potsdamer Platz held to the Hilmer & Sattler scheme established a year earlier. The plan conformed to Berlins traditional pattern of city blocks. The underlying philosophy was to bring the historic buildings and streets of Berlin back to life. It also sought to reinterpret the old models and to establish a bridge with the past. The Workshop generated a series of guidelines that were made into regulations which governed the design of the whole site. These included alignments, widths of streets, hierarchy, construction heights and sizes as well as formal obligations and material palettes: terra-cotta and clear glass for the facades, with copper for the roofs. The desired variety would be generated out of the individual interpretation each architect would give to their respective commissions. The architects included Arata Isozaki, Hans Kolhoff, Lauber & Wohr, Rafael Moneo, Richard Rogers, and Renzo Piano.
MASTER PLAN FOR THE POSTDAMER PLATZ

Architecture daujourdhui , n.308, December 1996, p.62, Photo by Andreas Muhs

POSTDAMER PLATZ

DEBIS TOWER

The Debis Tower by the Renzo Piano Workshop is situated at the corner site, acting as a gateway into the newly developed complex. The Debis Tower, houses the offices of the Debis company, Daimler-Benzs (now Daimler-Chryslers) real estate division. The building asserts the identity of the site by its height, as well as by its characteristic appearance of terra-cotta and non-reflecting glass. Based on the traditional typology of the New York skyscraper, the building is formed by a base and a tower. The building was conceived as two thin bars bordering an internal street. Refusing to design a commercial center along the lines of an American shopping mall, Piano was able to persuade the client to build a covered shopping street. This typology was related to the large galleries that existed in the 19th century, such as the Galleria in Milan.
PLANS OF THE DEBIS TOWER

DEBIS TOWER

Architectural Record, v.186, n.10, October 1998, p.125, Photo by Richard Bryant / Arcaid

Architectural Record , v.186, n.10, October 1998, p.132

THESIS

Half of all the energy in the world is used to heat, light, cool, and ventilate buildings. As a consequence, buildings are the main culprits in the production of carbon dioxide, which produces the greenhouse gases that are changing the worlds climate. As a result of this, new policies, such as new building codes, are being implemented so that the sustainability of our planet is not undermined. In this context, there has been a proliferation of sytems and technologies designed by architects and engineers to reduce the amount of energy consumption of buildings. This new trend is a response primarily to the need for a sutainable environment. It is also economically prudent and practical. The cost of a degraded environment and a damaged ecosystem is estimated to be much higher. Piano has always been at the forefront of architectural innovation. This is partly due to his collaborative approach, which stresses teamwork between the various design parties, as can be seen in the especially substantive relationship between Piano and the engineering firm of Ove Arup. In the Debis Tower, Piano has created an urbanistically sophisticated, environmetally progressive, and technologically advanced workplace. This is achieved through the design of performative double layered systems: glazed/terra-cotta, glazed/glazed, and terra-cotta/terra-cotta. Each system is designed according to various factors, such as its location and its position relative to the sun, its assembly and its maintenance. These performative double layered systems together with the way they are assembled and maintained form an energy-efficient, low pollution building. As a result, it trans-

forms the office-building type and has [captured] the long lost romance of the skyscraper. In this sense, the building is designed to make the most out of daylight and reduces heating and cooling by means of shallow floor plates as well as a sophisticated curtain wall. The curtain wall is formed by a system of double skin facades that contain a layer of tempered air so that when office windows are opened, air at extreme temperatures cannot be drawn in. Chilled ceilings are provided in areas of unusual heat production. The use of high thermal insulation produces a building that is expected to run on 70kWh/m2, reducing primary energy consumption by 50 per cent when compared to normally airconditioned buildings. Other environmentally driven decisions include the use of rainwater to irrigate landscaping and to flush lavatories, saving 20,000 cubic meters of water per year. Another innovation is the use of construction materials which minimize pollution, such as the bio-degradable plant oil required for the lubrication of all shuttering.

Architecture daujourdhui , n.308, December 1996, p.71

Climatic Double Skin

like an extra coat Based on the system used in the Cite International in Lyons (another Piano project), the added layer consists of a glass membrane with pivoting shutters placed 27 inches in front of a simple facade skin. Fabricated by the German manufacturer Gotz, the outer glass panels pivot up to 70 degress. The membrane has the ability to be fully closed in the winter to help heat the interior. At the same time, it ensures better sound proofing. During the summer, the electrically operated louvers can be opened to allow for cooling. At night it can evacuate the hot air accumulated in the building. Occupants are protected from glare by external blinds, which can be operated from the inside. The maintenance catwalks set between the glass layers act as a sunshading device and are topped with laminated safety glass to stop the spread of fire and smoke in the event of an emergency.

laminated glass maintenance grating

Architectural Record, v.186, n.10, October 1998, p.128, Courtesy of Gotz GMBH

pivot motor

external blind operable window tilt mechanism

laminated glass blades

PIVOTING SHUTTERS OF THE DOUBLE SKIN

SECTION THROUGH CURTAIN WALL

CITE INTERNATIONAL IN LYON heat-strengthened glass

maintenance grating track for maintenance cradle

PLAN DETAIL AT SPANDREL

Architectural Record, v.186, n.10, October 1998, p.128, Courtesy of Gotz GMBH

TERRA-COTTA
baguettes The lower parts of the building and the parts most exposed to the sun are clad in the terra-cotta/ terra-cotta system. Following the logic of the double skin system, the outer terra-cotta is an added layer which insulates and waterproofs the
Architecture daujourdhui , n.308, December 1996, p.70

terra-cotta panel external blind

inner terra-cotta wall. The outer wall also provides shading from the sun As is typical for the Piano Workshop, much energy was employed in the design of the terracotta module. The terra-cotta is a mix of carefully selected clays which yields higher density and greater strength when compared to traditional clay material. This makes glazing of the terra-cotta unnecessary. Intended to provide functional flexibility, the terracotta can be assembled in several modes: single or double skin, solid, or open work. This allows the solidity of the wall to be calibrated according to the opacity desired while at the same time providing an overall unity to the building.

operable window

terra-cotta rod

SECTION THROUGH TERRA-COTTA WALL

SECTION THROUGH TERRA-COTTA WALL

terra-cotta fitting horizontal terra-cotta rod terra-cotta mullion CITE INTERNATIONAL IN LYON

operable window terra-cotta mullion PLAN DETAIL

Architectural Record, v.186, n.10, October 1998, p.131, Courtesy of Gotz GMBH

Architectural Record, v.186, n.10, October 1998, p.131, Courtesy of Gotz GMBH

Internal Facade

The interior facade which faces the atrium and the interior street also follows the layered approach. A double glazed system is used, in which a frame carrying screen-printed glass blades is superimposed on the glazed panel of the window. The blades are tilted and screenprinted in white to insure privacy as well as to deflect the sightlines of the occupants upwards. In addition, they intensify daylight in the interior street.
fixed glass fins glaze control curtain
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smoke control curtain

INTERIOR WALL SECTION

INTERIOR ATRIUM

Architectural Record , v.186, n.10, October 1998, p.135, Photo by G. B. Garoin

ROOF STRUCTURE

landscape. Following German law which requires large greenery areas, the roof structure uses two innovative systems for the different conditions within the project: Derived from the DeMenil Foundation in Houston, the glazed part of the building is constituted by screenthe glazing. Such a system allows solar protection as well as natural ventilation. The terrace parts consist of a double roof which enables all technical ducts to be hidden. The upper parts act as a sort of false floor. Its steel trays are covered with a thin layer of earth planted with a highly resistant moss, which requires very little upkeeping. This sytem is used as an insulation mechanism as well as a water recycling system.
A+U: Architecture and Urbanism, v.329, n.2, February 1998, p.123

printed glass shutters which are hung obliquely under

DE MENIL FOUNDATION

ROOF SECTION

DETAIL SKETCH

GLASS SHUTTERS ON ATRIUM ROOF

A+U: Architecture and Urbanism , v.329, n.2, February 1998, p.123, Photo by Berengo Gardin

Architecture daujourdhui , n.308, December 1996, p.74

The surface of the roof has been designed as a

ASSEMBLY
Architecture daujourdhui, n.308, December 1996, p.70, Photo by Michel Denance

Much energy was devoted to the design of the components of the building and their assembly. As part of the overall Potsdamer Platz master plan, the Workshop designed a prototype panel that can be assembled in several models: single, double skin, solid or openwork. As is typical of the office, they worked in close collaboration with other design fields for the development of such prototypes. In the case of the terracotta panel the Workshop collaborated with two German building firms: Janinhoff-NBK and Wendker. The panel was developed to meet tight specifications such as the possibility of extrusion to considerable minimum assembly tolerance, and thermic quality. The terra-cotta panels have two types of components: 1. moulded mullion pieces obtained by pressing, which are modules 113 mm wide whose shape varies slightly according to whether they are attached to the bars. 2. the bars themselves, which are square in section with 48 mm sides. They are extruded to a maximum length of 1.35 m, and are fixed to the profile that carries the plates by aluminum reinforcement set in their hollow section. Each panel is factoryassembled. lengths, uniformity of kiln-firing and drying to ensure
PREFABRICATED PANEL ELEMENTS

PANEL ASSEMBLY

A+U: Architecture and Urbanism, v.329, n.2, February 1998, p.124, Photo by Michel Denance

The glazing for the various facade systems also required exacting procedures and development. It is likely that the installation of the glazing panels was very labor intensive. Prefabricated single bays were made off-site and transported to the construction site. In addition to normal building construction crews, the operable panels required additional mechanical and electrical labor in order to install the motorized rotation units on site. This probably meant that subcontractors were brought into the construction process to insure acceptable finish quality. Finally, the installation of the electrically operated exterior blinds also required delicate and specialized labor. The overall cost for the assembly of the glazing panels was probably costly.

ELEVATION MOCK-UP

Architecture daujourdhui, n.308, December 1996, p.71-72, Photo by Michel Denance

MAINTENANCE
Double glazed facade and glazed atrium

Since the glazing is a clear surface, the issue of accessability and cleaning had to be addressed by Piano. In the roof of the atrium, the which act as a sunshade and as surface deflectors. The added costs of the mechanical equipment and the energy necessary to operate and to maintain the various building systems was considered. The louvers were considered to be a high maintenance item, as well as the affiliated mechanized glazing panels. By contrast, the terra-cotta was deemed to be easily maintainable, due to the rigidity and impermeability of the high density clay used in its manufacture. The moss-roof was deemed to require low maintenance as well. In the line of energy efficiency and economy of means the buildings initial cost as well as the maintenance cost even out though they construction was argued to be actually neglectable compared to the overall cost of the building through its entire life cycle.
Architectural Record , v.186, n.10, October 1998, p.128, Photo by Michael Barthelme Architecture daujourdhui , n.308, December 1996, p.78

double-layered facade has a cavity with maintenance platforms

MAINTENANCE OF ATRIUM

seem to be large at first glance. The increased share of design and

CURTAIN WALL MAINTENANCE PLATFORM

CONCLUSION

In the context of a German political and social atmosphere in which energy conservation and environmentally non-harmful buildings are encouraged and promoted, the Debis Tower follows a lineage of recent buildings built in Germany, such as the extension to the Reichstag in Berlin, RWE in Essen, and the Commerzbank in Frankfurt. The Debis Tower is innovative and provides enormous advantages in the areas of energy conservation, lighting, and building ventilation. This results in an environment which is extremely favorable for office workers since it allows them to work in comfortable areas which can be controlled individually according to heat, light, and humidity. This, in turn, is beneficial for the company since it offers workers better protection and promotes productivity. However, the Debis Tower demands a high level of maintenance and initial cost. The articulation of the different facade systems is very delicate and although Piano designed them to be as rugged and reliable as possible, it is feasible to think that the building will require extensive maintenance and repair. This is similar to the situation of an earlier Piano building, the Centre Pompidou, which only after twenty-five years, required an overhaul and reconstruction of all major building systems. The cost is palatable because the building generates a high international profile and has, indeed, become an icon of Paris. The Debis company probably harbors similar hopes for their tower and is willing to invest in the cost of the building.

The unique societal circumstances surrounding the Debis Tower probably means that such environmentally-friendly buildings will probably be feasible only in Europe for the forseeable future. In the U.S., for example, such buildings would be very advantageous due to the generally warmer and sunnier climate. A building such as the Debis Tower would conserve a large amount of energy and create glare-free work environments for workers. However, much of the U.S. exists in high-humidity regions, and this would render the natural ventilation systems almost useless, especially in the summer. Historically, the prevalence of air-conditioning in the U.S. also would be a major hindrance for the Debis Tower. Many companies and potential clients would probably weigh the price of constructing such a high-maintenance building such as the Debis Tower as being simply too high and unjustifiable. Such buildings can be built in the U.S.; in general, the cost of building skyscrapers in the U.S. is much less than in Europe. However, the specialized technology and knowledge of customized curtain wall systems is heavily based in Europe, which means that the cost of importing the required technology and labor would add too much onto the overall cost of materials and construction.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Architektur in Berlin: Jahrbuch / herausgegeben von der Architektenkammer Berlin. Hamburg: Junis, 1998. Arnaboldi, Mario Antonio, Cognitivo e Conoscitivo: Debis Haus, Berlin, Arca, n.136, April 1999, pp. 4-11. Fromoonot, Francoise, Piano: Berlin, Vertus du Compromis, Architecture daujourdhui, n.308, December 1996, pp. 58-81. Piano at Potsdamer Platz, Architectural Review, v.205, n.1223, January 1999, pp. 35-42. Piano, Renzo, Renzo Piano Building Workshop: Debis Building Potsdamer Platz Reconstruction, Berlin, Germany 1992," A+U: Architecture and Urbanism, v.329, n.2, February 1998, pp. 104-125. Russell, James S., A Striking Presence on the Berlin Skyline, the Debis Tower, by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Revises the Skyscraper, Architectural Record, v.186, n.10, October 1998, pp. 125-135. Wefing, Heinrich. Der Neue Potsdamer Platz. Verlag Gmbh, Berlin, 1998. Yeang, Ken. Designing with Nature: The Ecological Basis for Architectural Design. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995, p. 130-136.