Exemplum 27
79 78 e X emplum MAGAZIN FÜR KLINKERARCHITEKTUR Reports T he district of Sursee, with around 10,000 inhab- itants, is one of the most popular places to live in central Switzerland thanks to its attractive lo- cation on the north-western banks of Lake Sempach, its medieval old town and its 20-kilometre proximity to Lucerne. The town centre has recently welcomed the development of the brightly bricked “Städtlipark” residential complex next to the local farm and farm shop. The project was planned by Lucerne-based architects Galliker und Riva Architekten AG, devel- oped by Maréchaux AG and implemented by Cerutti Partner in Sursee. It comprises seven bright-bricked individual buildings with three to four storeys and a recessed penthouse floor. A total of 60 exclusive condominiums have been created. The complex is characterised by the loose arrangement of the individual buildings. This com- bines with the integrated recessed balconies to offer residents a variety of views. The individual structures are made even more exciting by the slightly changing appearance of their façades, which is caused by the interplay of different colours in the pale grey bricks and by the partially grey-coloured windows. The con- cept for the residential complex is rounded off with intelligent floor plans measuring between 120 and 204 square metres, and with modern construction standards. “This interplay has led to the creation of a high-quality and thoughtful project that offers the perfect mix of urban life and country love”, explains project architect Patrick Riva. All the houses are solid concrete structures with highly insulated brick walls. In order to ease the construction process and cut costs, 52 mm tall-thin Röben brick slips were used for the façades, laid in a rustic bond with cement-coloured grouting. The architects had envisaged three grey shades for the bricks and then put these together using Röben BRICK-DESIGN ® , which helped them implement the design concept across the different sections of the façade. “One decisive factor was the fine colour gradation of Röben brick slips”, states Patrick Riva. “It was only through these subtle nuances that we were able to create the desired appearance of the façade with its gentle transitions. The middle of the three shades is used throughout both sections of the façade, where it is mixed with either the darkest or lightest shade”. T he City of Luxembourg with its population of around 120,000 is not just the capital of the eponymous principality: as well as being a ma- jor financial centre, it also joins Brussels and Stras- bourg as being one of the administrative headquar- ters of the European Union. Recently, a top quality new clinker-tiled building was completed for the primary school Ecole Fondamentale Hollerich in the central quarter of Hollerich. The concept developed by the local company of architects “architecture & urbanisme 21” consists of adding an urgently needed foyer to the primary school’s existingWilhelminian building, together with additional rooms and facili- ties. A total floor space of 4,400 square metres is now available on three levels. To make optimum use of the restricted plot size without infringing too much on the existing grassy areas and playground space, the planners added a narrow two-part structure that opens out onto the crossroads of Rue Antoine Meyer and Rue Raymond Poincaré, with an entrance hall that is slightly set back. The modern shape, the top quality clinker tile façade and the vertical windows deliberately pointing north-east make a striking contrast to the existing buildings with sandstone plinths and light plaster façades, and also to the houses along Rue Antoine Meyer with their light plastered frontages. A two-level bridge forms the link to the old building. The new entrance area acts as central eye-catch- er. To create a tangible transition between outside and inside and thus “guide” the children into the new building, the planners developed an extensively enclosed area that protrudes far over the entrance above the generously glazed ground floor: “The aim was to create a deliberately inviting structure that protects children from the weather and extends a welcoming gesture to them already while they’re still outside”, explains architect Peter Schäfer, the AU21 project manager. The upper storey is mainly closed with just one horizontal line of windows well set back that counts among the few openings in the deliberately solid clinker tiled building. Distinctive façade For the outer shell, the architects chose the WIES- MOOR hand-made bricks by Röben in carbon, measuring 240 x 115 x 71 millimetres in normal format. The bricks stand out with their modern yet strong, rustic aura that incorporates the new building harmoniously in the urban setting. “We also felt it was very important for the material qualities of the brick to reinforce the presence of the protruding structure”, explains architect Peter Schäfer, AU21 project manager. Use of the rustic bond with dark grouting further emphasises this impression. In conjunction with the narrow black window frames, the overall result is of a top quality façade full of variety. Professional, cost-effective completion of the brickwork was facilitated by fitting and suspending prefabricated three- or five-layer pier lintels. Prefab- ricated ceiling slabs with a bottom view of the clinker tiles were also used for professionally forming the protruding structure and the set back entrance areas. Similarly, special shaped bricks were integrated at the non-rectangular corners for neat, orderly com- pletion of these details. Furthermore, prefabricated Röben brickwork covers were used as the upper finish for the mobility ramp. A few months ago, people were able to catch their first glimpse of a new residential complex built with sophisticated brickwork on the site of a former carpenter’s workshop in the small Swiss community of Altdorf. The project was planned by local architects at Germann & Acher- R E S I D E N T I A L C O M P L E X A l t d o r f ( S w i t z e r l a n d ) Page 50 Planning: Germann & Achermann AG,Altdorf Processor: Rostein AG, Rotkreuz (Switzerland) Röben ceramic clinker brick YUKON granite, NF Water absorption: approx. 1,5% mann. It forms part of an extensive renovation in- itiative in the Hellgasse area. This has involved the construction of four to six storeys that now house 14 exclusive condominiums with between 96 and 134 square metres of living space. All units come with small terraces or breezy balconies, and there’s also a car park with 25 spaces located partially underground. Considering the narrow, slightly sloping plot of land and the closely neighbouring development facing the Hellgasse to the north-east, the planners have developed a slim four-storey structure, the ground floor of which is located largely under ground. The new construction faces the street with a varied, open and punctuated façade, while the garden side has been designed with large glass fronts. Additional room is provided by the two airy and spacious penthouse apartments that have been mounted over two floors in the middle of the construction, offering an unobstructed panoramic view of the surrounding Alpine landscape. “The former carpenter’s workshop was constructed in the early 20th century with façades made of Bohemian bricks”, states project architect Max Germann. “Further large industrial buildings with brick façades emerged to the south in the mid-20th century. So, by choosing bricks as our material, we really wanted to make a reference to the local area”. The same applies to the mounted structure: “There’s a neighbouring construction from the same project that has the same tower design. We wanted to create a structure that was reminiscent of the numerous towered buildings found in this late medieval city. At the same time, the buildings manage to create a balance between the small-scale town centre and the large-scale nearby industrial area”. In addition to these urban planning consid- erations, the material was mainly chosen for its high quality and low maintenance costs: “The solid brick façades not only create a durable and robust structure; they also ensure outstanding sound absorption and heat insulation”, explains project architect Ines Mächler. Standard Röben YUKON ceramic bricks were ultimately used, offering optimum durability with a meagre 1.5% water absorption. The YUKON bricks with light grouting were laid in a harmonious running bond, and their finely tuned grey nuances perfectly met the architects’ expectations. A nice detail can be found in the edges of the storeys that jut out slightly from the façade facing the street, allowing the large brick surfaces to be structured. Given the half-brick bond and the all-round ribbons with integrated window sills, the façade had to be designed brick by brick. The architects worked closely with Röben’s planning service to agree on various forms of soldier lintels. Pre-fabricated brick parts were also used to build the all-round ribbons and brick window sills. The masonry is rounded off with a strip of 80-cm-deep wall copings that match the YUKON brick masonry underneath with a pre-fabricated core made of watertight concrete. W ith a turnover of almost 25 billion euros and almost 37,000 branches in 120 countries around the world, the fast food chain McDonald’s, founded in 1940, is now one of the world’s most famous companies. A few weeks ago, the corporation relocated its headquarters to the centre of Chicago, where it had been based from 1955 to 1971. The clinker building was constructed for around 200 million euros according to plans draft- ed by the renowned Gensler Architects integrating state-of-the-art workspaces for 2,000 employees across 50,000 m2 of floor space on nine levels. McDonald’s chose 1035 West Randolph Street as its project location in the ambitious and trendy quarter of West Loop. Considering the heterogene- ous developments in the area and the company’s request for a building with an equally sophisti- cated and transparent appearance, the planners developed a rhythmically intriguing, staggered ensemble that combines different heights and sizes to create a homogeneous whole. Depending on the side you approach the building, it offers completely different views. One characteristic architectural detail can be found in its rigidly gridded façades, which are sub- divided by anthracite steel girders and struts and surrounded by narrow masonry columns in several sections. This allowed the architects to create a similar structure to the surrounding brick buildings despite the high amount of transparency required. “The result is an emphatically urban building with large windows and an openly accessible mezzanine floor, offering attractive views in both directions for employees on the inside and passers-by on the outside”, explains project architect Grant Uhlir. After first getting in touch with Röben’s partner company in America, Bricks Incorporated, several individual mock-ups were produced to obtain a suitable clinker for the masonry columns. Following this initial sampling, Röben AARHUS blue-variegat- ed brick slips were ultimately selected in the 193,7 x 57 x 92 mm US modular size. The darkly grouted brick slips emphasise the sophisticated façade construction and create harmony with the other various brick buildings in the area. In order to accelerate construction and mini- mise costs, the masonry columns were delivered to the building site as precast concrete and just had to be put in place using steel anchors. Röben delivered 140,000 brick slips and additional 52,000 corner bricks slips. “Depending on the chosen masonry design and the required function and position of the brick slips, these are manufactured in special shapes with their front facing down, then inter- connected as one piece and filled with concrete”, explains Andreas Andernach, the Röben Plant Manager in Bannberscheid, Germany, where the brick slips were produced. “One critical factor was the high dimensional accuracy of our bricks, which aren’t supplied like that on the American market. This means our brick slips didn’t have to be expen- sively cut to size like products from other suppliers to meet the USA’s high building standards”. The new construction is rounded off with its sophisticated interior design, which was developed in close collaboration with IA Interior Architects and Studio O+A. The central concept revolves around so-called “work neighbourhoods” with open floor plans, giving employees the flexibility to choose the perfect work environment to meet their needs at all times. The various sections include group rooms, shared tables, individual worksta- tions, and private rooms for making phone calls. The design is finished off with a large 700-seat con- ference centre, as well as a café, gym and exterior terrace areas. The ground floor also houses – you guessed it – a large McDonald’s restaurant. R E S I D E N T I A L C O M P L E X S u r s e e ( S w i t z e r l a n d ) Page 38 Planning: Galliker und Riva Architekten AG, Lucerne Röben ceramic thin brick slips, grey, DF, BRICK-DESIGN ® www.brick-design.com S C H O O L H o l l e r i c h ( L u x e m b o u r g ) Page 44 Planning: architecture & urbanisme 21 – yvore schiltz & associés Processor:Trigatti Marbrerie Sàrl, Luxembourg Röben hand-shaped brick WIESMOOR coal-variegated, NF Water absorption: approx. 7 % PATRICK RIVA Galliker und Riva Architekten AG “ T h i s i n t e r p l a y h a s l e d t o t h e c r e a t i o n o f a h i g h - q u a l i t y a n d t h o u g h t f u l p r o j e c t t h a t o f f e r s t h e p e r f e c t m i x o f u r b a n l i f e a n d c o u n t r y l o v e . “ M C D O N A L D ’ S H E A D Q U A R T E R S C h i c a g o ( U S A ) Page 54 Planning: Gensler Architects, Chicago Processor: James McHugh Construction Co., Chicago, IL Röben thin brick slip AARHUS blue-variegated, Modular Size (193,7 x 57 x 92 mm) Water absorption: capprox. 6% INES MÄCHLER Germann & Achermann AG “ T h e s o l i d b r i c k f a ç a d e s n o t o n l y c r e a t e a d u r a b l e a n d r o b u s t s t r u c t u r e ; t h e y a l s o e n s u r e o u t s t a n d i n g s o u n d a b s o r p t i o n a n d h e a t i n s u l a t i o n . ” “ T h e r e s u l t i s a n e m p h a t i c a l l y u r b a n b u i l d i n g w i t h l a r g e w i n d o w s a n d a n o p e n l y a c c e s s i b l e m e z z a n i n e f l o o r, o f f e r i n g a t t r a c t i v e v i e w s i n b o t h d i r e c t i o n s f o r e m p l o y e e s o n t h e i n s i d e a n d p a s s e r s - b y o n t h e o u t s i d e . ” GRANT UHLIR Gensler Architects “ D e p e n d i n g o n t h e c h o s e n m a s o n r y d e s i g n a n d t h e r e q u i r e d f u n c t i o n a n d p o s i t i o n o f t h e b r i c k s l i p s , t h e s e a r e m a n u f a c t u r e d i n s p e c i a l s h a p e s w i t h t h e i r f r o n t f a c i n g d o w n , t h e n i n t e r c o n n e c t e d a s o n e p i e c e a n d f i l l e d w i t h c o n c r e t e . ” ANDREAS ANDERNACH Röben Plant Manager, Bannberscheid (Germany)
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