Project status
completed

Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research
Technikum III

Würzburg, Germany

A new center for silicate research built in Würzburg by the Fraunhofer Society Munich is based on a blueprint by Zaha Hadid Architects. Known as Technikum III, the new building is linked to the existing ones by an elevated walkway and mainly houses laboratories and technical rooms for research into silicates.

The design brief was a white, opaque glass shell with no visible fastening system. The plan provided for the glazing units to be secured by bonding them onto aluminum support profiles. A second, load-bearing adhesive joint (redundant adhesion) was used as an alternative to the mechanical retainer system stipulated for an installation height over 26 feet. A wide variety of measures was used to achieve the opaque appearance and the even color effect when dealing with types of glass which depend on producibility and essential safety requirements. The flat, partly prestressed glass and the toughened safety glass units were coated by using a ceramic screen printing process. The aspherical curved laminated safety glass was coated with an opaque film and the curved single panes were given a polyurethane-based coating. The stability of adhesive bonds, compatibility of materials and building safety were all verified by means of a project-specific approval procedure.

 

 

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