WPP, considered the world’s largest advertising company, will move into the new MIZAL office campus in Düsseldorf in 2022. Highly transparent closed-cavity façades with loggias, providing access to large roof gardens and inner courtyards, are set to promote communication in a variety of fresh-air spaces. Floor-to-ceiling glazing with highly effective solar shading as well as flaps for natural ventilation and high soundproofing standards will allow for a quiet and comfortable working environment with plenty of daylight.
Along with a landmark 11-storey high-rise building, the multi-tenant campus has an office area of around 38,000 sqm and comprises a 4-storey and a 5-storey building connected by a 1-storey pavilion. Rounded corners and ribbon-like sheet metal box structures between the storey levels, running across the parts of the staggered height building complex, create a flowing and harmonious connection. They contrast with the jagged façade contour with projections and recesses, so that open, glazed areas alternate with narrow, closed ventilation elements.
Special façade solutions were needed to create this complex architectural design, requiring all the aluminium profiles and gaskets for the approx. 350 different types of façade unit configurations to be individually engineered. The approx. 3,100 CCF units with a standard size of 1.35 x 3.80 m each have the straight or round sheet metal box panels integrated into them. Due to the complex geometry, the saddle gasket had to be glued to each panel on site.
Campus with diverse communication-fostering spaces at the “Media Harbour”
At the entrance to the Media Harbour and at the southern main access route to Düsseldorf, and close to the government quarter, MIZAL was built on a 15,000 sqm plot adjacent to the urban railway station “Völklinger Straße”, with connections to Düsseldorf city centre, main train station and Düsseldorf airport. Thus, the building complex can be easily reached by public transport, by car, but also by bicycle and on foot.
At this hub, CODIC Development GmbH, as developer of corporate real estate, sought to create an optimal working environment for companies undergoing digital transformation that are looking for spatial flexibility and multifunctional communication spaces for their project teams. A trend-setting office building with campus atmosphere and communication[1]promoting architecture, including open spaces for a variety of uses, such as recreation, has been created for this prominent spot at Düsseldorf’s Media Harbour.
Central criteria in the all-in-one concept developed by CODIC and the Düsseldorf architects Eller + Eller have a significant influence on the design and function of the façade. A high degree of transparency is intended to promote a sense of togetherness among the users. Activity and recreation spaces were planned, as well as alternating indoor and outdoor work spaces to make future tenants feel comfortable. In addition, the building was to be particularly sustainable, energy-efficient and low-maintenance.
Organic architecture with balconies, inner courtyards and roof gardens
Eller + Eller Architekten have designed a staggered architectural complex featuring offset building parts. Horizontal ribbons between the storeys subdivide the buildings and create a harmonious overall picture. Together with the rounded corners, the individual parts of the building are thus fluidly connected and visitors are guided into the inner courtyards. Storey-high glazing between the horizontal ribbons visually connects the individual cubes. Atria, balconies and roof gardens for recreation are integrated into the buildings.
Together with the 4-storey Annex, the 44 m high MIRADOR high-rise building offers a gross floor area of 19,500 sqm, while the 5-storey low-rise INFINDO building provides a GFA of around 17,300 sqm. These building blocks are connected by a 1-storey pavilion. The buildings accommodating 285 spaces on three levels and 241 conventional spaces on the first parking level.
Biotope-like open spaces with spacious outdoor areas, attractive forecourts and courtyards blend into the urban space. In addition to landscaped open spaces, several piazzi and areas for other activities will be created. These diverse recreational areas are designed to encourage staff get-togethers and recreation. The highlight of the MIZAL Campus is a total of walkable 3,600 sqm of green roof gardens. This finally creates a complex campus with welcoming activity and recreation spaces that encourage communication.
The interior fit-out is also based on the concept of open working environments featuring smooth spatial transitions. On one level there are interconnected usable areas of up to 3,200 sqm that allow different workplace concepts to be realised. The rooms can also be flexibly divided up and adapted to new requirements.
Jagged façades with storey-high CCF units, including aluminium panels with ventilation flaps
Façade specialist Gartner has clad the MIZAL building with a 16,700 sqm closed cavity façade (CCF) as well as 820 sqm of aluminium stick[1]system façades for the entrance areas and roof exits, including a 170 sqm steel stick-system façade for the lobby and entrance areas. A total of 670 tons of aluminium profiles have been installed. In order to maximally reduce delivery routes and environmental impact, the aluminium profiles have a highly recycled material proportion, and mainly materials from Germany have been used.
Together with experts, the client had tested various types of façades back in 2017 to evaluate whether they fulfilled the required criteria for sustainability, design and comfort. The decision was then made in favour of the CCF due to its excellent structural-physical values such as energy efficiency, daylight transmission and sound insulation. Since the closed façade cavity does not need to be cleaned or maintained, it was possible to reduce operating cost due to low maintenance and cleaning needs. This façade cavity also incorporates a maintenance-free and wind[1]protected solar shading system. As a result, the design of the building envelope could be simplified, which, for example, is not disturbed by solar shading devices.
The jagged building structure, with 140 cm wide sides alternating with 40 cm deep recesses, together with curved ribbon structures running across the storeys, required special solutions for the façade. While the long sides were clad with storey-high glass panels, Gartner has developed closed aluminium panels for the recessed sides with an openable 1.40 x 0.20 m flap which is concealed from the outside by a slotted sheet. For this aluminium flap, a handle with a small mounting size was designed especially for this building project in order to maximise the opening angle. Thanks to this solution, the rooms can be naturally ventilated despite the closed double-skin façade. Furthermore, one façade unit per floor in each exterior stairwell, starting from the 1st floor, is fitted with a motorised smoke extraction flap.
Thus, according to Eller + Eller Architekten, the closed cavity façade creates a lively light-and[1]shadow scene with the “geometry overlapping in scales”. Through this alternation of open and closed areas, the façade view changes as one moves around the building.
CCF units with straight and curved sheet metal boxes and numerous variants
The complex geometry required a specific façade design with around 350 individual configurations and new profiles and gaskets. A particular challenge was the saddle gasket frame, which had to be glued to each panel on the construction site. This was the only way to ensure tightness in case of building movements, especially between the individual storeys.
In addition, the 65 cm high and partly curved sheet metal boxes had to be integrated into the CCF units. These single-axis boxes are suspended from the units, and very tight tolerances had to be maintained, especially at the transition from straight to rounded elements. Cable guides for the lighting and surveillance cameras, as well as the motors for the sunshade slats, are integrated into the spandrel panels. They are accessible for maintenance work via flaps at the bottom of the box.
The CCF units usually have an axial dimension of 1.35 m, but in some cases, dimensions are 1.32 m or 1.40 m, with a height of 3.80 m on the upper floors and 4.80 m on the ground floor. Standard units weigh around 600 kg on the upper floors and 800 kg on the ground floor. Depending on the position and function in the building, there are numerous variations: under a projecting ceiling, with and without ventilation flaps, with smoke vents, with and without sun protection, with louvre panels, with cable ducts for lighting or for surveillance cameras, with integrated fixing points for the building maintenance unit, etc.
Gartner has designed a total of around 90 different aluminium profiles for MIZAL, with a shiny silver exterior and light grey interior coating. The high-quality Duraflon lacquer provides a special shine and improves weather resistance and durability. The sheet metal boxes have been reinforced on the upper side with a special anti-drumming coating to prevent an unpleasant, drumming noise during rainfall.
Highly transparent glass and highly efficient, transparent sun protection slats
The CCF façade was glazed with low-iron oxide glass, which offers very high light transmission. This glass is comparable to white glass, has no solar control coating and is almost free of bluish or greenish tint. Its very good colour rendering index facilitates the work of advertising agencies, for example. The 5 mm thick exterior impact pane consists of 0.76 PVB and 5 mm laminated annealed ipasafe Clealite. The inner triple insulating glass has a total thickness of 52.7 mm.
For effective thermal protection despite the high level of transparency, a highly effective and freely suspended solar shading system was installed in the closed cavity. The coated aluminium slats are 6 mm deep and, with a perforation of 9 %, offer a certain degree of transparency even when closed. In the cavity, the sun shading is protected and thus permanently functional even with strong winds in high-rise areas. Cleaning costs can also be reduced by protecting the sun shading from contamination in the cavity. The drive was integrated into the sheet metal box ribbons and thus enables accessibility for later maintenance.
This design allows the CCF to achieve a thermal insulation of Ucw = 0.83 W/m²K for the unrolled surface and Ug = 0.51 W/m²K including the impact pane. For airborne sound from the inside to the outside, the CCF achieves 42.5 dB, for horizontal flanking sound insulation 61.0 dB and for vertical flanking sound insulation 62.3 dB.
Stick-system façades for loggias, balconies, roof exits and entrances
The 16 loggias, the 3-storey balcony, the 1-storey entrance and the four roof exits from the low-rise buildings onto the roof gardens are made of aluminium stick-system façades with different axial dimensions and glass sizes. The ten loggias in the high-rise building with lift-and-slide doors each have a floor area of around 17 sqm while the six loggias in the Annex and Infindo feature around 26 sqm each. The four roof exits with motorised swing doors are accessible for the disabled via lifts.
The 2-storey lobby façade and the three 2-storey entrance façades were designed as steel stick-system façades. These façades have a maximum axial dimension of 2.67m and glass panes measuring up to 3.3 x 2.67m.
Work on schedule: From planning to production, all the way to installation
Gartner has redeveloped all the details and sections for the project detail engineering. To examine the tightness, four original units were tested together with the ift Rosenheim. In parallel, various long-term tests such as endurance, climatic chamber and 20,000-cycle tests were carried out. The theoretical sound insulation calculations were also verified during ift test trials. In addition, tests were carried out to ensure that no particles had become detached due to transport-associated vibrations or were left unnoticed inside the cavity, for example, after delivery of the façade units.
In May 2019, Gartner has embarked in the detail engineering and, from January 2020, production has started on a special production line for CCF façades, with a glass washing system, on which up to 18 units were produced per day. The finished façade units must be In May 2019, Gartner has embarked in the detail engineering and, from January 2020, production has started on a special production line for CCF façades, with a glass washing system, on which up to 18 units were produced per day. The finished façade units must be work was completed ahead of schedule, so that installation was to be completed in autumn 2021, as planned.
Conclusion: Light-flooded offices with plenty of fresh air including loggias, roof gardens and inner courtyards
With its campus concept, MIZAL offers generous fresh air areas that are unique in their diversity and present the façade design with special challenges. Loggias and balconies integrated into the façade, roof exits leading to the large roof gardens and inner courtyards with recreation and activity zones will encourage communication and provide modern working environments. Even in the high-rise building, users can aerate their offices naturally via flaps. MIZAL has thus become a pioneering example of innovative, open and flexible working environments, especially in times of the coronavirus pandemic, when fresh air has become a key health factor.
With its campus concept, MIZAL offers generous fresh air areas that are unique in their diversity and present the façade design with special challenges. Loggias and balconies integrated into the façade, roof exits leading to the large roof gardens and inner courtyards with recreation and activity zones will encourage communication and provide modern working environments. Even in the high-rise building, users can aerate their offices naturally via flaps. MIZAL has thus become a pioneering example of innovative, open and flexible working environments, especially in times of the coronavirus pandemic, when fresh air has become a key health factor.
This article was originally published in IGS Magazines Winter 2021 Issue: Read the full Magazine here for more thought-leadership from those spearheading the industry
Authors:
Jürgen Wax, CEO (Josef Gartner GmbH)
Jürgen Wax joined Gartner 2014 as COO and became CEO in 2016. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim, Germany and looks back on 20 years of experience in façade industry.
Adrian Gliese, Project Manager (Josef Gartner GmbH)
Adrian Gliese joined Gartner in 2019. He holds a degree in Construction Management from the Florida Institute of Technology, USA and looks back on over 7 years of experience as a project manager. Adrian has implemented over 40 projects throughout all of Europe and Russia ranging from a small scale to multimillion Euros in scope.
Project data
Developer: CODIC Development GmbH, Düsseldorf
Architect: Eller + Eller Architekten GmbH, Düsseldorf
Project Controlling: G+N Consult Baumanagement GmbH, Düsseldorf
Structural Work: Hochtief Infrastructure GmbH,
Düsseldorf Façade: Josef Gartner GmbH, Gundelfingen
Photographer: Axel Thomae FotoDesign www.axelthomae.de