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Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

Floor of a Hotel in Madrid

Architects:
Zaha Hadid Architects, London
Assistants:
Woody Yao, Thomas Vietzke,
Yael Brosilovski, Patrik Schumacher,
Ken Bostock, Mirco Becker

For the Hotel Puerta America in Madrid,

Zaha Hadid and a number of other leading
architects were each given the job of designing a whole floor. The only requirement
was that each floor should be identical in
plan, comprising a small foyer, 28 rooms
and two suites, but otherwise the client left
the interior design entirely up to the architects imaginations. The resulting stack of
very different floor designs is like a patchwork of architectural styles and directions
(see also DETAIL German edition 2005/10,
p.1082). Zaha Hadids futuristic first floor is
particularly distinctive. As the lift doors
open, the guest is immediately immersed in
a curving, modelled 3D landscape. A bizarrely twisted sculpture serves as a lamp,
walls and ceilings undulate and the white
walls of the corridors bulge out to create
cave-like recesses. LED panels set into the
doors display not only the room number but
also any special requests from the guests
inside (e.g. the inevitable Do not disturb).
Handy for reporting what needs fixing, too.
The foyer and corridors, however, are merely a prelude to the rooms themselves: walls,
floors and ceilings merge and flow into each
other, the furniture in the rooms bed, desk,
armchair and wardrobe seeming to grow
out of them. No right angles, no hard edges
disturb the snow-white or pitch-black room
sculptures. Even the bathrooms look as if
they were made in one piece. The bathtub,
wash basin and counters all continue seamlessly into one other. Details like towel rails
and waste bins also harmonise with the overall look. This unusual interior landscape is
made out of a thermoformable synthetic material. Prefabricated sections were mounted
on an MDF frame, then sanded (for further
details, see p. 428, Technology section).

Photo: Hotel Puerta Amrica, Madrid

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Plan of 1st floor
scale 1:750
Plan of bedroom
scale 1:100
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Foyer
Bedroom

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Suite
Bathroom
Wardrobe with
sliding door
Bed
Desk
Bench

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Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

Fashion Store in Tokyo

Architect:
Acconci Studio, New York
Vito Acconci, Peter Dorsey
Assistants:
Dario Nunez, Gia Wolff, Julia Loktev,
Stephen Roe, Larry Sassi
Structural engineers:
JUN, Tokyo

For this Tokyo flagship store of a young New

York fashion label, the former concept artist
Vito Acconci implanted an interior of glowing curves into a small building in the fashionable district of Daikanyama. As a way of
visually increasing the space inside the
store (only 60 m2 of floor space), the surfaces that flow around the space were given
the added function of lighting. Waves of
white PVC cover the entire interior, flowing
over walls and ceiling, and stretching over
steel tubes to form shelves and a counter.
At floor level the PVC disappears into a joint
with concealed lighting, marking the transition to a bare screed floor. Fluorescent lighting, hidden behind the taut PVC surfaces, illuminates the whole boutique. The omnipresent textile covering sets up a natural
link with the clothing displayed on the
shelves and chrome hangers. When customers want to try something on, curtains
are drawn around in the centre of the sales
space to form two changing cabins. The
curtains run on guide rails set into the floor
and ceiling, and hang next to the columns
when not in use. These columns have mirrors on three sides, built-in folding seats and
a small shelf. In line with the general style of
the district the interior fittings are kept relatively simple in design, but the overall look is
extremely unified and effective. A new facade of fine metal mesh was fitted around
the existing building; on the street side this
facade is dominated by a vertical strip, with
concave and convex curves. On the ground
floor the entrance curves inwards, a device
to tempt shoppers into the brightly lit sales
space. Mirrors either side of the sliding door
intensify the impression of being drawn inside. Above the ground floor the first-floor
window bulges into the street, attracting just
as much attention. Clad with PVC this window functions like a large screen onto which
photos and videos can be projected, or alternatively scenes from inside the store.
Cameras positioned behind the mirrors can
be activated by the customers themselves.
Budding fashion models can thus switch on
the cameras, and have their image projected onto the facade.

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Plan of
ground floor
Section
scale 1: 200

Entrance
Counter
Changing area
(perimeter curtain)
Projection on
the facade

aa

 2006 4

Photo: United Bamboo Inc., Tokio

Fashion Store in Tokyo

Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

Book Shop in Innsbruck

Architect:
Rainer Kberl, Innsbruck
Assistant:
Markus Tschapeller
Structural engineer:
Alfred Brunnsteiner, Natters
aa

Night or day, this book store in a listed

building in Innsbruck town centre attracts
the attention of passers-by. Seen from the
street a mysterious, dark interior with cleverly lit shelving draws the eye to the multi-coloured spines of the books. The openings in
the ground-floor ashlar masonry of the rendered facade are distinctive for their clarity
of design. Two shop windows, each with
reveals up to one metre deep, form a link
rather than a barrier between outside and
inside. In good weather the window sills outside, between the shiny, reflective cladding
of the reveals, can be used to display
books, reinforcing the invitation to browse.
The sales room extends over two levels,
stepping up about one metre at the back.
Books line the walls inside the store, displayed on a simple system of slotted uprights, height-adjustable brackets and coated chipboard shelves. Black is the colour
used throughout its on the mastic-asphalt
flooring, the book shelves, the free-standing
units (till counter) and the ceiling. Despite
the blackness of the interior, the store
presents a friendly open face towards the
street. The calm, quiet atmosphere inside,
focused on the product, encourages people
to browse. The reflective coating on the
chipboard ceiling panels has the effect of
visually doubling the number of books on
display. Carefully positioned lighting enhances the scene, emphasising the colourful variety of the books on the shelves and
whetting the readers appetites.

Floor plan Section

scale 1:200
Section
scale 1:50

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4
5

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Retail space
Till
Office
Kitchenette
WC

a
Three different types of lights are used to make the
books stand out against the black shelves and other
black surfaces.
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Rotating, tilting spot

Downlighter (directed on the counter around
the till /office)
Spotlight (parallel to the shelves, directed at the
books)

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 2006 4

Book Shop in Innsbruck

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Photo: Lukas Schaller, Vienna

Vertical section
scale 1:20
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25 mm render
steel joists, re-concreted
40/40/40 mm aluminium profile
reveal cladding
12 mm laminated safety glass,
black fritted
40/40 mm aluminium SHS
suspended ceiling,
19 mm black-coated chipboard
tilting spotlight
170 mm book shelf, pivoting
shelf system:
slotted black rail fixed to wall
height-adjustable black supports
30 mm coated black chipboard
12 mm toughened glass
1 mm aluminium sheet
bent to shape
40/40 mm aluminium SHS
protective support
polythene strip
80/80 mm aluminium SHS
glass support 40/30 mm
steel T-section
adhesive stainless-steel lettering
25/30 mm steel angle
190/400 mm underfloor convector
floor construction:
20 mm mastic asphalt
70 mm screed
100 mm polystyrene insulation
250 mm reinforced concrete,
relaid

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Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

Refurbishment of the University and

City Library, Frankfurt am Main
Architects:
Hochbauamt Frankfurt am Main
Helmut Sachwitz, Stefanie Rook,
Harald Leisinger
Planners:
Hochbauamt Frankfurt am Main
Eckhard Trk, Rudolf Rappmann

Photo: Christoph Kraneburg, Cologne

These days students and researchers expect to find computers and Internet access
in their libraries, not just reference books.
Like other libraries, Frankfurts city and university library is also having to keep pace
with new technology and the impact this is
having on the requirements of research and
study. Built in the 1960s by Ferdinand Kramer this building with its stark, spacious interior has now been renovated and fitted out
with furniture-like units that can easily be
dismantled at a later date if required; this
was an important consideration dictated by
the buildings listed status. Compartments
and corner seating units divide the foyer into
areas for research and communication. Illuminated screens opaque, twin-walled
polycarbonate panels mounted in a steel
frame further divide the space while also
concealing all the cabling for lighting and
computers. In the reading hall shelving units
double up as study decks (known as combi-boxes), providing areas to work and
browse on two levels. Along the window wall
two long wooden partitions, indented in
plan, carve out individual study carrels,
compartments for private study. The new fittings were all made of black-stained MDF, a
cost-effective solution with a pleasant, contemporary feel. Certainly the students seem
to approve of the refurbishment, judging by
the competition for places in the carrels and
on the combi-boxes.

Plan of ground floor

Foyer Reading room
scale 1:500
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12

Entrance
Foyer
Information
Caf
Book box
Reading corner
Research counter
Reading room
Work tables
Combi-box
Study carrels
Stacks (existing)

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 2006 4

Refurbishment of the University and City Library, Frankfurt am Main

1
3

Sections
Research Counter
Reading corner in foyer
scale 1:20

4
5

1
2

25/25 mm corner angle,

anodised aluminium
2 mm anodised sheet aluminium edging
8 mm silver-coloured varnished MDF

60/60/2 mm steel SHS,

welded, coated with white primer
10 mm twin-walled polycarbonate,
milky, translucent white
40/3 mm aluminium fixing strip
on 40/40 mm solid wood batten, white
neon light, fixed horizontally,
with 5 mm white MDF strips to stop glare
counter, 830/25 mm black MDF,
matt varnished

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aa

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Refurbishment of the University and City Library, Frankfurt am Main

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2006 4

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1 12

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8 80 mm cable hole
9 dividers, 2 12.5 mm MDF,
fixed to 100/40/4 mm aluminium angle
10 support, 20/2 mm steel tube
11 book shelves, 25 mm MDF panels
12 2 mm anodised sheet aluminium
30 mm silver-painted MDF
13 40/40/2 mm steel SHS, welded,
coated with white primer
14 book shelf, 350/300/25 mm MDF

15 30 mm birch-veneered plywood
16 backrest in reading corner,
25 mm MDF
17 seat in reading corner, 2 25 mm MDF
18 support frame, 2 25 mm MDF
19 base of reading corner,
2 25 mm MDF
2 mm anodised aluminium edging strip
supporting frame,
50/40 mm wood bearers

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14

16

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 2006 4

Refurbishment of the University and City Library, Frankfurt am Main

Cross section through

combi-box
scale 1:20
Longitudinal section Elevation
scale 1:100

parapet,
25/900 mm black MDF,
matt finish, boards on both sides,
angled and screwed on the inside
60/40 mm wooden spacer
table, 2 25 mm MDF, glued
30/30 mm wood bearer

flooring,
5 mm linoleum on
20 mm chipboard,
fully glued joists
120/80 mm softwood
underside, 25 mm MDF
downlights

70/70 mm timber studding

cabling in cavity,
25 mm MDF planks on
both sides
book shelves, 25 mm MDF,
shelves slotted at sides and
slid onto steel supports

7 table leg, 40/40/2 mm steel SHS

8 steps with built-in storage
frame, 25 mm MDF
9 tread and riser, 25 mm MDF,
mitred and glued
10 corner joints of MDF panels
glued, tongued and grooved

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Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

University Library in Berlin

Architects:
Foster and Partners, London
Norman Foster, David Nelson,
Stefan Behling, Christian Hallmann,
Ulrich Hamann, Ingo Pott
Structural engineers:
Pichler Ingenieure, Berlin
aa

This new Philological Library completes the

renovation and restructuring programme of
the main complex (completed 1973) of the
Free University of Berlin. Jean Prouvs distinctive Corten steel facade had earned the
old complex the affectionate nickname,
rust-heap. Originally intended by Josic,
Candilis, Woods (with Greig and Schiedhelm) as an open, flexible structure with a
deliberately un-monumental appearance, it
had suffered considerably over the years.
Also, there was a growing feeling that it was
time for the university to bring together the
various institute libraries spread around the
site. Finally a programme to remove asbestos in the 1990s was taken as an opportunity
to assess the options for refurbishment. The
architects restored the old complex with
great respect and replaced the facade with

cladding in architectural bronze, a contemporary interpretation of the original Corten

steel. The library, now housing the stocks of
11 different institutes, was integrated within
the existing complex at the express wish
of the client. Its bubble-shaped volume now
stands as a separate building on the site of
two former courtyards. In creating this new
focus, the architects were obliged to dismantle some existing structures, but these
were later rebuilt at another location thus
putting into action for the first time the concept envisaged by the original architects.
The library is connected to the adjacent
buildings via two coloured lock-like gates.
Its double-skinned shell is supported on a
prefabricated tubular-steel spaceframe.
Shiny aluminium panels alternate with double-glazed windows on the outside, while a

skin of white fibreglass textile covers most

of the inside. This material softens the incoming daylight, diffusing it evenly
through the space to create a calm, concentrated atmosphere. Changing weather
conditions outside are thus felt also on the
inside. In the interior the cantilevered floor
decks stack up in the centre, accommodating bookshelves and providing space
along their curved parapets for over 600
reading desks. Bright, double-height
spaces and interesting visual connections
are generated by alternating the curves
and recesses of these levels. A light ditch
surrounds the lower ground floor to improve daylight penetration. The load-bearing frame is additionally supported on the
concrete cores either side of the central,
open staircase.

b
Sections
Floor plans
scale 1:1000

1
2
3
4
5

Entrance
Courtyard
Information
Reading desks
Institutes (existing)

Ground floor
Upper storey
3rd upper storey

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 2006 4

University Library in Berlin

Section through connection to

existing structure
scale 1:50

bb

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gutter, 0.4 mm stainless-steel sheet

3 mm aluminium sheet, powder coated
panel, 145 mm aluminium sheet,
thermally insulated and coated yellow
cladding, 2 12.5 mm plasterboard
spaceframe member,
89 114 mm steel tube
covering, silicone-coated fibreglass
textile
260/140/16 mm steel RHS
2 mm architectural bronze sheet
steel load-bearing structure (existing)

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University Library in Berlin

2006 4

3
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Photo: Nigel Young, London

 2006 4

University Library in Berlin

Section
scale 1:50
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

ventilation flap, aluminium profile

ceiling spot
145 mm aluminium panel, thermally insulated
40 mm walk-on double glazing
spaceframe, 89 114 mm steel tube
covering, silicone-coated fibreglass textile
upper chord, 90/90/5 mm steel SHS
ventilation flap, 145 mm aluminium panel
insect screen, stainless-steel mesh
table top, 30 mm coated MDF
support bracket
70/70/8 mm steel T-section
12 parapet, 32 mm varnished laminated wood
13 window, covered with printed ETFE foil

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University Library in Berlin

2006 4

Section
scale 1:10
1 50/50/5 mm steel T-section
2 60.3 mm sprinkler pipe
3 145 mm powder-coated
aluminium panel,
thermally insulated
4 double glazing:
8 mm toughened glass
+ 18 mm cavity
+ 12 mm laminated safety
glass
5 spaceframe member,
89 114 mm steel tube
6 silicone-coated fibreglass
textile
7 upper chord: 90/90/5 mm
steel SHS
8 ventilation flap,
145 mm powder-coated
aluminium panel
9 EPDM glass-fixing profile
10 aluminium profile with
adhesive strip
11 Mero spaceframe node,
132 mm steel tube
12 steel frame, threedimensionally adjustable
13 tensioning spring for textile

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Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

Heldenberg Museum
Architect:
Atelier Peter Ebner + Franziska Ullmann,
Vienna
Assistants:
Markus Zilker, Oliver Noak
Structural engineer:
Werkraum, Vienna

Heldenberg, or Heroes Mount, is a well

known curiosity in Austria, especially in conservative circles. It was built in the 19th century in the town of Kleinwetzdorf in Lower
Austria by a militarist and army supplier as a
private memorial to Austrias war heroes
and also as a means of boosting his own
social status. It features a neoclassical
building with columned portico fronted by a
flight of steps and set in extensive gardens
dotted with the busts of officers. Also visible
in the grounds is an obelisk which marks the
entrance to a burial chamber in which both
the buildings patron and the famous FieldMarshall Radetzky are interred. But Heldenberg has more to offer than just military ro-

manticism. Nearby, on a newly designed

site, are reconstructions of circular burial
chambers from the Neolithic age. For a regional exhibition in 2005 Heldenpark was restored and a new extension built in which to
house temporary exhibitions in the summer
months (on themes unrelated to the military).
This new section is mostly buried underground, between the two attractions, an arrangement that not only asserts its separate
identity but also impinges as little as possible on the existing structures. All that is visible above ground are the entrance and the
exit, and three differently shaped skylights.
The northern entrance is the most visible, as
it projects from the hill like a glass look-out

post on a slightly raised platform. Inside,

attention focuses entirely on the quality of
the space; the visitor enters into another
world. He wends his way through a series
of variously shaped white rooms, pierced
intriguingly by carefully placed openings
some in the form of light shafts, some as
viewing apertures that illuminate this abstract continuum of space. The budget for
this unusual spatial experiment was very
tight. The building systems therefore are
restricted to flexible strip lighting on the
ceilings and a ventilation system fitted in
the central skylight. Even the existing toilet
block, hidden behind a wooden fence, was
kept and revamped.

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c

Floor plan
scale 1:500

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4

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d

North entrance
Exhibition
East skylight
(vertical glazing)
South skylight
(horizontal glazing)
West skylight
(angled glazing)
South exit
WC (existing)
screened off by a
picket fence
Existing building

 2006 4

Heldenberg Museum

B
C
D
E

Sectional details
scale 1:20
A South exit

West skylight
East skylight
South skylight
North entrance

D
C

A
E
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dd

Axonometric projection
E North entrance
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2
3
4
5
6

South exit
West skylight
(angled glazing)
South skylight
(horizontal
glazing)
East skylight
(vertical glazing)
North entrance
Existing building

Heldenberg Museum

2006 4

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5

1
ee

Sections
scale 1:400

1
2
3
4

latex paint on plaster

thermal insulation,
50 mm foam glass
edge trim,
50/50/50 steel profile
finishing plate, steel sheet
edge trim,
20/50 mm steel angle

5
6

sole plate, unfinished aluminium

synthetic resin bonded to
60 mm screed
separation layer
50 mm thermal insulation
40 mm sand filling
sealing membrane
30 mm reinforced concrete slab

7 sandwich panel
sealing membrane
8 double glazing matt,
lower pane
lam. safety glass
9 cladding, translucent
multi-skin sheets
10 50/50/50 mm steel channel

 2006 4

Heldenberg Museum

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Photo: Margherita Spiluttini, Vienna

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5E

Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

Theatre in Rouen
Architects:
Jakob+MacFarlane, Paris
Assistants:
S. Gamelin, L. Gravier, C. Housset,
L. Hauffmann
Structural engineers:
ITEC Ingenieure Normandie

Sections
Floor plan
scale 1:800
1
2
3
4
5
6

aa

Rouens new theatre, named after the Russian revolutionary dramatist and novelist
Maxim Gorky, was created out of a building
that was fitted out in the 1960s as a cinema.
Remodelling the interior space and expanding seating capacity was the requirement
set out in a competition in 1998. However, it
was not until six years later that the renovation was finally completed. Now the auditorium in this drama-only theatre can accommodate 468 people, on banked rows of
seating that can be dismantled as required.
The seating is new and placed more closely
together than in the old cinema hall. Also extended was the stage area, now equipped
with a versatile proscenium in front of the
main stage. Just outside the auditorium, at
the back, is the foyer with upper-floor gallery, providing sufficient space for the theatre-goers in the intervals. The spectacle
starts in this theatre even before the curtain
goes up coloured entirely in fiery red, the
hall seems to swallow up the visitors like the
jaws of some giant hungry beast. Shades of
anthracite used on the front of the stage and
the chairs contrast with this. The segmented
cladding panels on the ceiling and interior
walls of the auditorium are angled to fit the
shape of the space. Made of veneered laminated wood, the panels fan out, leaving
gaps between them where the angles differ,
thus allowing a glimpse of the black background. Behind the panels is a steel frame
to which the 18-mm thick wooden panels
are affixed. The lighting is incorporated in
rectangular openings at the junction of wall
and ceiling cladding. On the long walls behind the cladding is a black-varnished steel
walkway, visible to the audience as it breaks
through to cross the auditorium at ceiling
level. This walkway gives the lighting and
stage technicians access for maintenance
and installation work. The main problem with
the old cinema hall was its poor acoustics,
improved in the new theatre by fitting the
panels. All the cladding panels and the
flooring, also of veneered laminated wood,
are in red, the colour of the Communist Party and highly appropriate for the theatres
namesake.

Entrance hall
Office
Foyer
Stage direction
Auditorium
Stage

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Photo: Jean-Marie Monthiers, Paris

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 2006 4

Theatre in Rouen

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Section
scale 1:10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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12
13
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15

steel frame (existing)

100/100/6 mm steel angle track
steel bar
steel turnbuckle
100/100/6 mm steel angle section
18 mm veneered laminated wood, glazed red
reinforcement,
steel -section, 100 mm deep
spacer
steel -section, 100 mm deep
covered screw fixing
panel connection with invisible joints
frame, 40/100 mm wooden batten
acoustic insulation
40/40 mm steel angle section as
edge protection
floor slab, 38 mm veneered laminated wood,
glazed red

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Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

Ecumenical Chapel in Turku

Architects:
Sanaksenaho Architects, Helsinki
Matti Sanaksenaho
Assistants:
Pirjo Sanaksenaho, Sari Lehtonen, Enrico
Garbin, Teemu Kurkela, Juha Jskelinen,
Maria Isotupa, Jaana Hellinen, Jari Mnttri,
Kain Tapper
Structural engineer:
Kalevi Narmala, Turku

Like a giant fish with copper scales this

chapel rests atop a wooded hill on the Finnish island of Hirvensalo, outside the town of
Turku. Grouped around this sculpture, further down the hill, are the buildings of an oncological clinic, the powerful, silent form in
their midst a reference to the significance of
the symbol of the fish in the early days of
Christianity. A ramp from the small foyer
leads up to a vestry and ancillary rooms and
through into the main part of the chapel, the
belly of the fish. As well as religious services, art exhibitions are also held in this
space, a dual function intended right from
the launch of the competition. Artists were
also called in to design the altar and altar
windows. The benches at the back can be
temporarily removed for exhibitions. The interior is dominated by wooden surfaces
soaring glulam pine ribs, waxed pine floorboards and solid alder wood benches and
an atmospheric contrast between light and
shade. At the ends of the building strong,
direct light penetrates into the interior, the
translucent glass either side of the altar
arching the full height of the building from
floor to ridge. Uplighters at the foot of the
load-bearing ribs lend additional drama. In
the entrance area a skylight at the ridge provides illumination. Over time the copper
cladding on the outside of the chapel will
take on a greenish patina, blending the
building into its wooded surroundings.

Section Floor plan scale 1:400

Site plan scale 1:3000

 2006 4

Ecumenical Chapel in Turku

Horizontal section
scale 1:20
1
2
3

4
5
6

30/50/4 mm steel angle

366/115 mm glulam pine
double glazing,
6 + 15 + 10 mm
120 mm void
8 mm translucent glass
with open horizontal joints
32 mm steel tube
30/60/2 mm steel RHS
150/150 mm steel SHS

0.7 mm copper sheet

5 mm bitumen seal
20 mm roof boarding
32/100 mm wood bearers
70 mm ventilation / wooden spacer
9 mm composite wood board
50 + 150 mm thermal insulation
vapour barrier
32/100 mm wood bearers
21/95 mm pine matchboard

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Ecumenical Chapel in Turku

2006 4

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2

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Photo: Jussi Tiainen, Helsinki

Section
Foyer skylight
scale 1:20

1 ridge cover,
0.7 mm copper sheet,
bent to shape
2 silicon seal
3 double glazing 6 + 15 + 10 mm
4 steel profile frame
30/60/2 mm RHS
+ 30/50/4 mm angle
5 18/50 mm pine matchboarding
21 mm plywood
6 0.7 mm copper sheet
5 mm bitumen seal
20 mm roofing boards
32/100 mm ventilation /
wood bearers
70 mm ventilation / spacers
9 mm composite wood board
150 mm thermal insulation
between timber rails fixed with
150/50 mm steel angles
vapour barrier
32/100 mm wood bearers
21/95 mm pine matchboard
7 366/115 mm glulam pine
8 50/200 mm wooden boards
100/50 mm timber bearers
22 mm wooden spacer
vapour barrier,
2 layers of bitumen seal
120 mm reinforced concrete
thermal insulation,
80 mm rigid foam
250 mm gravel
9 120/80/10 mm steel angle
10 brass ventilation grille

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Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

House in Azeito
Architects:
Aires Mateus & Associados, Lisbon
Assistants:
Mafalda Neto Rebelo, Maria Rebelo Pinto,
Ana Rita Rosa
Structural engineer:
Alexandre Portugal

In a village close to Azeito, south of Lisbon,

an old wine warehouse was renovated and
converted into a single-family house. The
work involved largely retaining the outer envelope of this long building with shallow
pitched roof; inside the space was completely gutted, while retaining something of
the barn-like character of the original building. The concept behind this renovation
project is as original as it is simple: the architects interpreted the space programme
as a series of nine differently sized box-like
compartments, arranged as if floating below
the distinctive, exposed timbers of the old
roof. These volumes function as bedrooms,
bathrooms and a studio, while the space on
the ground floor, left free of fittings and partitions, is used as a single communal area.
Inside the original long stone walls, which
are up to one metre thick in places, another
wall was added, creating narrow corridors
to accommodate the four flights of stairs
and ancillary zones, including kitchen. Daylight enters the house through the existing
window openings, now finished with narrow
aluminium frames. The 130 m2 living room
receives light mainly through openings in
the two end walls, while upstairs each individual white box, glazed towards the corridor, is positioned opposite one of the original openings. The steel frames for the boxes
rest on cantilevered concrete slabs anchored back in the solid outer walls.

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3

6
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Studio
Bedroom
Bathroom
Guest room
Walk-in
wardrobe
Kitchen
Lounge

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Floor plans
Section
scale 1:250

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3
4
5

 2006 4

House in Azeito

Section scale 1:50

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roof construction:
zinc roofing
12 mm composite wood board
ventilation space and 50 mm extruded
polystyrene insulation between
wooden beams
wooden beams (existing)
roof boards (existing)
steel -beam, 100 mm deep
steel -section, 100 mm deep
cladding, plasterboard
floor construction:
30/200 mm solid pine floorboards
pine battens
screed
25 mm insulation
concrete floor (existing)

Photo: Daniel Malho, Lissabon

Institut fr internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG

2006 4

Bank Headquarters in Munich

Architects:
Guido Canali, Parma
Gilberto Botti, Munich
Assistants:
Valentina Colonna, Karlheinz Fischer,
Ulrich Hackl, Florian Jost, Hanns-Michael
Kpper, Ulrike Rohrhofer
Structural engineers:
Sailer Stepan & Partner, Munich

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In the heart of Munich, not far from the Fnf

Hfe (Herzog & de Meuron), the HypoVereinsbank carried out another remarkable
conversion this time for its own top management and within the walls of a listed
building. The complex retains its historic
facades, a monumental aspect that serves
this major banks image very well. Even
when it was originally constructed, at the
turn of the 20th century, the Knigliche
Filialbank concealed a modern interior inside its neobaroque exterior: It had one of
the first steel frames in Bavaria, still partly
visible today in the sober, restrained atmosphere of its conference rooms. The original
interior only survived until the 1950s. Also
included in this renovation and extension
project were the Preysing Palais and other
neighbouring buildings. A narrow, high entrance way retains the independence of the
structures, which are linked to each other
via bridges. In the basement and raised
ground floor of the old bank building, a
communications space was created for
customer events, lectures and press conferences. Offices and other meeting rooms are
located on the upper stories and in the new
roof storey. Two atria, in place of the old
banking halls, form the heart of the new
headquarters, filling the interior with daylight. The position of one of the old glass
roofs (the lower of the two) over the halls is
indicated by its original columns, now
standing free with no load-bearing function.
Grouped on the upper floor around this
atrium (open only occasionally to invited
visitors) are the offices of the banks directors. Movable glass louvres screen off this
security area when needed, and when
opened, they do not impinge visually on the
spatial experience inside the atrium. Simple,
clear forms mainly in steel and glass are
characteristic of the new interior. The high
technology required by modern business
remains entirely concealed. Careful, understated details fit in well with the overall
design details like the unobtrusive yet
effective orientation system in the form of
stainless-steel lettering set into the terrazzo
floors.

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Floor plans
Upper ground floor
Lower ground floor
Section
scale 1:1000

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2
3
4
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Preysing Palais
Entrance way
Large atrium
Small atrium
Void over
lecture hall

 2006 4

Bank Headquarters in Munich

Stairs to lecture room

scale 1:10

1 overflow channel
water basin
steel channel section
2 water surface
3 2 35/10 mm steel flat
at 4 mm spacing
4 10 mm matt terrazzo,
bonded with
synthetic resin
footstep sound

8 glass parapet,
laminated safety glass:
2 10 mm toughened
glass
9 25/12 mm steel
flat with rounded
edges
10 30/30 mm steel
angle with
rounded edges

insulation,
expanded glass
granules
6 mm steel sheet
5 30 mm steel tube
6 220/15 mm steel sheet
7 85/30 mm steel
sheet between
2 250/25 mm
steel sheet

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16
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Bank Headquarters in Munich

2006 4

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Photo: Christian Richters, Mnster

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Sectional details
Louvre wall
Large atrium
scale 1:10

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2
3
4

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14 15 16 17
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25 mm steel end plate

setscrew for adjustment
140/100/25 mm steel flat
150/25 mm steel sheet
(2 parallel, 50 mm spacing)
rotating louvres, laminated safety glass
screen-printed to look etched:
8 mm clear partially toughened glass
+ matt foil + 8 mm clear float (glass)
80/10 mm steel flat
16 mm steel cover plate
15 mm steel cover plate
80/25 mm steel flat
(2 parallel, 50 mm spacing)
25/8 mm steel flat
sliding rod, 10 mm steel bar
drive unit
50 mm steel plate
290/190/40 mm steel cover plate
adjusting screw, after assembly and adjustment
filler plate positioned and welded
welded plate, 370/200/15 mm steel plate
steel rail, screwed into horizontal core
laminated safety glass:
matt foil between 5 mm + 8 mm clear partially
toughened glass,
140 mm clear stripes on outside,
printed in between
60/30 mm steel flat (2 parallel)

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72 glass louvres, each 11 m high, are positioned one

metre in front of the galleries. Suspended from the top
and supported in the middle and at the base, the louvres were adjusted under load to precisely fit the design grid. The louvres are rotated around 90 without
torsion by a finely articulated drive mechanism located in the centre and not visible from the atrium.