Bützberg (Schweiz), 30 October 2012
MEDIA RELEASE
Umwelt Arena in Spreitenbach:
Exemplary architecture for people and the
environment
The opening of the Umwelt Arena (environment arena) in
Spreitenbach, Switzerland, inaugurated an exhibition centre
fully dedicated to the issue of sustainability. The design,
construction and building technology by rené schmid
architekten therefore took its leave from forward-looking and
exemplary energy solutions. This can already be seen in the
exceptional architectural design: the multi-pitch roof of the
octagonal structure almost stretches down to the ground in the
manner of a dome and is completely covered with photovoltaic
modules. In addition to the use of solar energy, both an efficient
heat supply and the optimised external envelope play key roles.
SILVERSTAR SELEKT, the triple insulated glass from Glas Trösch,
was thus used for the facades, meeting the demanding
specifications of the architects both visually and with its
outstanding thermal insulation properties.
“Environmental engineering must be accessible, as only when consumers experience
and understand the efficiency of ecological technology will they be responsive to it,”
says René Schmid, owner of the eponymous architecture firm in Zürich. Together
with his team, he designed an exhibition building for the city of Spreitenbach in the
Swiss canton of Aargau which aims to acquaint visitors with sustainable technology
and environmentally-friendly products. And the choice of location was not a
coincidence: in 2008, Spreitenbach won an award for its sustainable energy policies
and for promoting renewables and environmentally-friendly mobility. A suitable piece
of land for the future Environment Arena was found on an industrial site framed by
railway tracks and a residential area. The structure was intended to complete a long
chain of shopping centres and furnishing stores and be on a similar scale to
neighbouring buildings.
The elegance of crystals inspired the architects’ external design of the exhibition
centre. The solitaire 100 metres long and 60 metres wide has a compact appearance
with its octagonal form, inclined facades and its downward-sloping roof, but also
appears dynamic and modern with its clarity and fascinatingly pitched roof. Specialpurpose photovoltaic modules form the external envelope’s weather-resisting barrier.
With its facetted roof profile and the dark brilliance of the PV elements, the structure
gleams like a matt-black crystal in the daytime, strongly contrasting with its
heterogeneous surroundings.
The interior of the Umwelt Area is divided into three basement and four upper
storeys. At the heart of the building is the three-storey arena for sustainability,
offering space for over 4,000 people. When visitors are not completing laps with ebikes and electric mobility scooters, conferences, presentations and cultural events
are held here. Surrounding this event area are seminar rooms, the “climate
restaurant” and exhibitions on various environmental topics. Over a total 11,000
square metres, visitors can find out all about nature, energy, mobility, building and
refurbishment as well as renewable energies.
As the form and function of the Umwelt Arena were intended to represent a unified
whole, the architects strove for a consistently sustainable style and energy supply
system. While the basic structure of the building was made of concrete, the roofing
comprises a wood sandwich structure. 5,500 PV modules on the roof not only
generate enough electricity to cover the building’s requirements but also an energy
surplus which can be fed into the power grid. The heat energy is supplied by various
systems which also form part of the exhibition. Also of note: even the site work was
carbon neutral.
The glass façade: safe, highly effective and visually perfect
The design of the glass façade represents a major element of the efficient and
sustainable energy concept. It involved meeting several challenges: the building’s
strict thermal insulation requirements had to be fulfilled, while the steep inclination
of the façades demanded attention to specific safety aspects. The aesthetic criteria
formed a further issue, as the glass façades had to harmonise with the overall
appearance. This is why a triple insulated glass from Glas Trösch with the ACS edge
seal system was chosen.
The design of the façade glass meets the demanding requirements of the building:
12mm laminated safety glass (LSG) with SILVERSTAR SELEKT coating is used on the
exterior surface. With large inclined façade surfaces on the Umwelt Arena, the
laminated glass meets safety requirements, even in the event of damage. Behind the
LSG is a 14mm gap filled with argon and then 6mm toughened glass. Finally,
toughened glass with a ZERO E coating is used on the interior side, ensuring
extremely low thermal losses. The ACSplus edge seal system, made of silicone foam,
additionally ensures “warm edges” and further improves the window’s U value. The
system is also visually superior to conventional spacers. The silicone foam is
processed entirely automatically with the special-purpose RAA (Robot Assisted
Application) method and guarantees extremely straight and parallel lines with precise
corner formation. Overall, the triple insulated glass achieves a Ug value of 0.6 W/m2K
with a overall energy transmittance of just 38 percent. At the same time, with a light
transmittance of 60 percent, the glass allows a great deal of daylight into the interior.
Making sustainability tangible
Thanks to its innovative materials and ultramodern technology, the Umwelt Arena does
not just “shine” visually. It presents itself as a high-tech exhibition building featuring
exemplary solutions – from the façade to the details in the building interior. The
solitaire’s expression, form and function constitute a convincing unity and make this
competence centre a visitor magnet which is “sustainable” in the truest sense of the
word.
Construction site board:
Developer:
W. Schmid AG, Glattbrugg (CH)
Architecture:
rené schmid architekten, Zürich
Completion:
August 2012
Construction period:
2 years
Construction costs:
44 million CHF
Net floor area:
11,000 m2
PV system area:
5,300 m2
PV system annual yield:
540,000 kWh
Glass façade:
1,000 m2
Royalty-free images – copyrights: rené schmid architekten ag
The large roof with its sharp angles and edges draws the eye from afar. Depending
on the solar radiation, the surfaces appear either matt-dark or shiny.
Spreitenbach’s industrial area is marked by a series of large-scale structures into
which the compact exhibition building fits ideally.
The heart of the centre is a three-storey sustainability arena, a room for conferences
and other events. A “cocoon” floats in the air, connected with bridges to the various
exhibition levels.
The man behind the Umwelt Arena, environmental pioneer Walter Schmid, wanted
the exhibition to make a vivid impression. The diverse exhibits in areas such as
nutrition, household, mobility, house building or economics can be touched and
tried out.
Saving energy is the key priority of the Umwelt Arena, meaning that the façade must
also offer outstanding thermal protection. SILVERSTAR SELEKT triple insulated
glass from Glas Trösch is the ideal choice for this.
Royalty-free image – copyright: Glas Trösch AG
Glas Trösch is also present with an exhibition at the Umwelt Arena. Using a variety of
model homes, it shows the positive influence modern insulating glass has on energy
consumption.
Press contact:
Glas Trösch Holding AG, Corinne Gerber, Leiterin Marketing Schweiz,
c.gerber@glastroesch.ch, Telefon +41 (0)62 958 52 45