Van der Valk Hotel Venlo is a textbook example of circular construction, innovation and design. The aluminium façade elements from WICONA are an important part of this. On behalf of Byldis Facades, WICONA supplied aluminium curtain walls with integrated LED lighting, frames and sliding doors, which were modified precisely according to the architect’s wishes.
- Client - Hotel Van de Valk Venlo
- Architect - Quant Architecttuur
- Contractor - Wijnen Bouw Group
- WICONA Partner - Byldis
- Location - Venlo, NL
- Completion - 2021
- Height - 52m
- Photography - Egbert de Boer
With its sustainable, cradle-to-cradle-inspired approach, Van der Valk Hotel Venlo is unique in North Limburg, located on the edge of the city, along the A67 to Germany, with Venlo city centre 10 minutes away. The building, furnishings and day-to-day operation are being developed in a sustainable manner. The hotel strives for a no-waste, circular operation. For the Van der Valk hotel group, it is the first hotel to be constructed in this unique way.
Van der Valk Hotel Venlo renovated the existing site, in part by overhauling the current building (tower) while simultaneously creating a new building. The composite whole became an eye catcher in its environment. Given its location in Venlo, C2C capital of the world, attention was paid to how the cradle-to-cradle principles can also add value to the hotel. This is not only in line with the policy of the municipality of Venlo, but can also contribute to the quality of the hotel, image and branding towards (future) guests. This sustainable approach was applied very consistently. That is why the aluminium curtain wall solution from WICONA was chosen.
Integrated LED lighting in custom curtain wall
WICONA has offered a standard solution for integrating LED lighting in curtain walls for years. This solution is based on a moulded aluminium cover strip with a transparent plastic cover. “However, Quant Architecture wanted a slightly larger and more elongated nose at the front. So, we produced specific extrusions,” says Raimond Stassen, project manager for WICONA. “In order to prevent, for example, snow, wind and water from putting too heavy a burden on the aesthetic caps, special attention was paid to the shape and connections.”
Proud of the end result
The aluminium decorative caps have been applied everywhere on the new façades. “We also supplied the curtain walls for the 52-metre-high hotel tower and wider substructure,” says Stassen. In the field of curtain walls, WICONA offers an extensive range of products, which will be expanded even further this year. This allows architects and façade builders to unleash their full potential in terms of creativity. “In the Van der Valk Hotel, segmented and curved profiles from the WICONA WICTEC 50 series have been used.”
The recessed balconies in Venlo are fitted with WICONA bottom-hung windows, which guarantee a high level of wind and water tightness. “In the same spirit as these bottom-hung windows, we offer the option of using window doors with a low threshold, which allow easy access to the balcony. The standard solution also allows door handles to be placed on the inside and outside, for optimum safety. Sliding doors from WICONA have been used on some balconies, which allow an even larger opening to the outdoors.”
The aluminium profiles of this system are extruded from a new, high-quality Hydro CIRCAL aluminium alloy and consist of at least 82% recycled end-of-lifecycle aluminium (post-consumer scrap). This aluminium comes from windows, doors and curtain walls of buildings that have reached the end of their life. Spread over two production locations in Europe, the scrap waste is fragmented, sorted and processed for the production of new, high-quality aluminium building systems. This means that architects, developers, contractors and end users are assured of a sustainable and high-quality product, and the CO2 reduction is taken to a new level.”
