PROJECT DETAILS
- PROJECT: Kap West office and administration building
- LOCATION: Munich
- DESIGNED BY: Wiel Arets Architekten (Amsterdam)
- PROJECT BY: HPP Architekten (Düsseldorf)
- FACADE PLANNING: Fassadentechnik Scharl (Ehingen on the Danube)
- FACADE CONSTRUCTION: Ruppert App GmbH & Co. (Leutkirch in the Allgäu)
Now complete, Kap West provides Munich with a new architectural highlight. This unusual office block in the up-and-coming Am Hirschgarten district is earning praise for its characteristic design and particularly sustainable construction method. Notably, the architects for this LEED Gold-certified high-rise specified a particular WICONA unitised façade construction for the project’s 12,600 m2 façade area.
In the suburb of Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, a 7,300m² former industrial site (MK8) has been transformed to accommodate strikingly modern residential and commercial properties - the new Am Hirschgarten district. And, the most striking buildings in this urban planning district belong to the Kap West development, designed by Wiel Arets Architekten. This modern office complex has set new standards for architectural design and the quality of both the location and its high-quality indoor spaces.
The two horseshoe-shaped main buildings are both topped by distinctive towers. The slightly taller 60m high south tower boasts an impressive overhang which is cantilevered 18m above the ground. This landmark, counter-rotated over the main building below, can be seen for miles around. The visionary concept of flexible, modern and futureproof working in an urban environment comes complete with a campus-like layout of open spaces, including green courtyards and roofs.
Intelligent unitised facade construction
The many requirements for Kap West's facade made this a particular challenge. The client requested floor-to-ceiling window units with concealed opening vents and opening restrictors. Additional requirements included greater sound insulation, water tightness, air permeability and resistance to wind loads. The experts at Fassadentechnik Scharl (Ehingen) devised a curtain wall solution comprimising a 220 mm thick unitised facade with external horizontal and vertical pilaster strips (350, 550 and 750mm wide). This unitised facade solution was based on WICONA's high thermal performance WICLINE 75 evo aluminium window system.
Construction firm Rupert App ensured the project requirements were met by reinforcing the exterior, using fixed lights, integrating guard rails for the solar shading devices and adding brackets next to the mullions. The three sealing panels are another special feature. The highly flexible system that results can easily accommodate relative floor deformations (+12mm). The thin, compact 12mm Dekton facade panels by Consentino were hooked into the significantly modified unitised facade panels using invisible aluminium anchors.
Over 2,200 units comprising of window systems, ventilation units and curtain wall panels were prefabricated and delivered to site. This ensured that installation ran efficiently and met the tight project schedule. This whole complex was designed and planned in depth with sustainability in mind, and produced an impressive building complex.
