Cube Berlin
cube berlin
a new level of double-skin glass façade
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In addition to coated glass products, the team at Guardian Glass provided technical expertise and commercial support throughout the design phase, drawing on many years of experience and knowledge.
As Olivier Beier Costa, Guardian’s Architectural Sales Manager and who was involved in the project states: “The biggest challenge was the need to combine the design and aesthetic concept of the architects and the technical requirements of the building. We had to identify exactly the right combination of products to use, and this involved a great many tests and calculations, as well as producing many different samples.”
As well as maximising the use of natural daylight, the glass façade not only offers high protection against solar heat gain but provides natural ventilation. To prevent overheating of the façade cavity, both solar-control coatings and solar-absorbing PVB layers have been integrated into the outer glass skin.
Torben Østergaard, partner at 3XN, the architect on the project comments: “In order to make the building work as a sculpture on the square, we were looking for reflective glass that emphasises the surface while also visually reflecting the surroundings. Our hope is that the design will prompt passers-by to ask ‘What’s actually going on here?’ and maybe even evoke a sense that the building is actually flirting a little bit with you.”
The aesthetic impact is clear, made possible by a carefully balanced combination of glass types. Less apparent is how this double skin ventilated façade is also a perfect example of how architectural glass design can deliver on the structural and energy requirements of today’s ‘intelligent’ commercial builds.
