22nd October 2007

Integrated Steel Façade for Heating and Cooling
(System GARTNER) for BMW Welt /

Filigree Facade Construction reflects BMW Trademark


GUNDELFINGEN,15. OKTOBER 2007. The Vienna Architects Coop Himmelb(l)au designed a complex building shape for BMW-Welt in Munich, setting completely new façade requirements.
Each individual curtain wall unit manufactured by Josef Gartner GmbH in Gundelfingen/Bavaria is unique, the construction is three-dimensional construction with a multitude of different glass dimensions and components. The steel façade works as an extremely energy efficient heating and cooling system. The steel hollow sections bear water that can either be heated or cooled down. Even in close vicinity to the glass walls the heated façade generates comfortable temperatures. The filigree façade construction gives the trademark BMW a new face and conveys a feeling of openness and transparency. Particularly unique is the dynamic building shape which resembles a cloud formation.

Gartner manufacture steel and glass curtain wall units for BMW-Welt, situated between the Olympic Park in Munich and the BMW headquarters. BMW began construction in August 2003. Starting from 22 October 2007, up to 250 vehicles per day are scheduled to be delivered directly to the customer. In addition to its delivery centre BMW-Welt comprises of a futuristic centre for exhibitions and events and various restaurants. BMW has invested more than one hundred million euros and has created 200 new jobs. After the opening approximately 800.000 visitors are expected each year.

The building, constructed according to the plans of the Vienna architects of Coop Himmelb(l)au, impresses above all with a double cone of glass and steel, from which the roof emanates like a cloud, rising over the building. This building component is the mainstay of the cloud-shaped 16,000 sqm roof construction which, with a 6,300 sqm photovoltaic unit, is also used for energy production. Supported only by the double cone and 11 articulated columns this “roof cloud” almost seems to float. The whole building is approximately 180 m long, up to 130 m wide and 28 m high.
The façade of the building section connected to the double cone is also made of steel and glass and highlights the transparency and lightness of the daring overall construction.


With the exception of tubular steel Gartner developed and manufactured the complete façade in Gundelfingen/Donau.
The unusual shape of the building placed high demands on geometry and fitting accuracy of the curtain wall units which were constructed three dimensionally in all building areas.
900 different glass units were manufactured only for the double cone. No single sheet resembled the other in the 15,000 sqm roof construction with approximately 5,000 perforated stainless steel sheets.

The complete steel façade was constructed as a GARTNER INTEGRATED FAÇADE SYSTEM ® for heating and cooling purposes. The hollow steel profiles carry water that can be heated or cooled down and sprinkler ducts and RWA cables are integrated into the welded steel profiles. The integrated façade, invented by Gartner in 1968 and since then continuously further developed, functions like a hot water heating. At BMW-Welt it is used as an additional heating system to allow for a smaller dimensioning of the heating system. Above all, the heating façade prevents a drop in cold air on the high glass walls and thus increases comfort. Condensation does not settle on the glass roof, and in summer the façade becomes a cooling wall which prevents the heating up of room air. Even in close proximity to the glass façade the temperatures are comfortable and the BMW-Welt rooms can therefore be used economically.

With the help of templates Gartner constructed and pre-assembled the double cone façade room structure in their workshop. The units were delivered at night to the site in Munich using special transport. They were subsequently lifted from the lorry and directly installed into the intended position on the façade. The curtain wall which Gartner started in November 2004 was completed in April 2007.

The double cone has a base diamenter of 35 m. The construction tapers towards the neck at a height of approx. 12 m and a diameter of approx. 18 m then extends upwards and outwards to the top where the diameter is approx. 44 m. The construction ends here in a continuous ring-shaped support before it connects to the standard roof construction. A large part of the external shell of the double cone consists of glass. The surface area of the cone façade comprises approximately 2,839 sqm. The construction consists of triangular units which conform to the geometry required by the architects. The side length of the glass units is approx. 5.5 m.

The horizontal and vertical sections consist of rectangular hollow sections 300 x 100 mm, the diagonal sections are 250 x 100 mm. The hollow sections are heated and fitted with retractable sprinklers and conduits for lighting.
For glazing of the lower part 8 mm toughened safety glass with Ipasol neutral 52/29, design glass 16 mm SZR, 2 x 6 mm heat strengthened glass in Optiwhite with black screenprint border was used.

The upper part is glazed analogous to the lower one, with laminated glass according to the recommendations for external overhead glazing. A sunshade made of perforated stainless steel has been installed to part of the double cone glazing at a distance of 600 mm to the glazing.

The main façade of the building section adjacent to the double cone has an approximate size of 5,500 m_. The curtain wall starts from the ground and is gradually attached to curved roof construction. From the upper edge of the raw floor to the level of the bending point of 7.5 m, the curtain wall slopes inwards by 10 degrees. Above the bending point and up to a level of 25 m, the curtain wall protrudes 10 degrees outwards.
The main facade is glazed with Ipasol neutral 52/29 made of design glass horizontally supported by glazing beads and vertically by means of structural glazing.
In the vertical centre the glass pane is additionally point fixed. An inner sunshade/sunblind works as a back pull system, at 5 m wide and a maximal height of 17.5 m.

Glass roofs were installed to various areas of BMW-Welt, e.g. the catering area, above the lounge as well as the recess area which, with a wall of air and glass, serves as an important fire barrier. A sloping glass roof of approx. 900 sqm was installed here. The glass roof rests on a box-type construction of 400 x 120 mm, which spans approx. 20 m free area between the building sections.

The glazed roofs in the catering and lounge areas are constructed with rectangular steel tubes, 200 x 100 mm and each have a gradient of 3 deg. Furthermore the lounge roof has been furnished with ventilated fins. The curtain wall area of the catering area is approx. 520 sqm and the lounge roof is approximately 533 sqm. High performance/Low-E coated double glazing 52/29 was used for the roofs of the recess, catering and lounge areas and additional screen printing was applied to the catering area's glazed roof. The lounge façade forms the room-side closure of the lounge to the hall and consequently to the outside. It is designed as a stick-system façade with a grid dimension of approx. 2.9 m and a transom grid dimension of 1.25 m.

The elegant form of BMW-Welt is a spectacular architectural highlight located between the Olympic Park with the famous pyramid roof by Behnisch and the BMW headquarters four-cylinder building. Especially since, the floating roof construction appears to be a reference to the adjacent pyramid roof. At the same time BMW-Welt represents a new type of building. Its transparent and complex glass façade transports more light into the showrooms, opens the building to the surrounding area and becomes, itself, a work of art. Above all it gives the building an unmistakable look. Extraordinary building shapes like these require maximum precision and quality by the curtain wall manufacturer and BMW-Welt opens up new design possibilities in the field of glass architecture
.

Nähere Informationen:
Klaus Lother, Geschäftsführer,
Josef Gartner GmbH, Gartnerstr. 20, 89423 Gundelfingen,
Tel.: 0 90 73/84-0, Fax: 0 90 73/84-21 00

Dr. Jochen Mignat, Dr. Mignat PR, Am Hexenpfad 11,
63450 Hanau, Tel. 0 61 81/507 91- 0, Fax: 0 61 81/507 91- 11
pr@mignat.de

www.bmw-welt.de

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