seele is also responsible for four glazed curtain wall façades. These have to satisfy a high blast-proof specification and many details show the refinement of the technical design. The transverse rails in the two large façades are connected to the building at the sides by tension springs, which reduces the tensile forces transferred to the façades in the case of deformations. The post-and-rail sections can therefore be smaller.
The roof overhang on the north side could not be carried on the façade because the latter is directly above the entrance to the underground car park, supported on a long-span reinforced concrete beam. Additional loads would have overstressed the beam. Therefore, there is a sliding joint between the inward-curving free spanning façade and the roof construction, so that no loads are transferred from the roof to the façade.
Reference overview and Header image: © Timothy Hursley