Information about the reference project
Type of building: |
Education and Culture |
Products: |
Doors, Façades, Windows |
Series: |
Janisol Door, VISS TVS vertical, Janisol Arte 2.0, Janisol 2 EI30, Economy 50 Door |
Location: |
Munich, Bavaria |
Completion: |
2021 |
Architects: |
CL MAP GmbH,gmp Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner |
Specialist company: |
Niebuhr Stahlglastechnik GmbH |
Picture credits: |
© Horst Schiffmann |
Striking entrance to the Isarphilharmonie concert hall
The city's cultural centre Gasteig HP8 in Munich's Sendling district is actually a temporary home for the Gasteig in Haidhausen while it is being renovated. However, it already seems likely that the ensemble, which is grouped around “Hall E”, will continue to exist after this period. Steel windows and doors contribute to the distinctive appearance of the listed Hall E. In the “link” area, they also protect the building structure against fire. Industrial, workshop and administration buildings dominate the former public utility site in Munich's Sendling district. Within this mature structure, the Isarphilharmonie concert hall and three other buildings – the municipal centre of further education, the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts, and the Theater München – as well as a restaurant and other event spaces have been constructed under the name “Gasteig HP8”. The urban positioning of these modular buildings sets the scene for the almost 100-year-old transformer hall (Hall E) as the spatial and functional centre of the new cultural district. With a clearance height of 21 m in the glazed interior courtyard, it forms the central foyer of the Isarphilharmonie. The ground floor houses the information and ticket office, the cloakrooms, a café and a cinema hall. The Münchner Stadtbibliothek (Munich City Library) uses the galleries above.
Characteristic building features retained
Commissioned by the public utilities, Hall E was constructed between 1926 and 1929 as a warehouse and functional hall for the neighbouring Heizkraftwerk Süd (South Power Station). With its clean design, it is a rare example of the modernism of the time in Munich and is therefore worth protecting. To retain the industrial character of the light, airy hall, the bright yellow crane was kept under the illuminated ceiling as well as the blue balustrades of the galleries and the floor markings. “We find the somewhat rustic feel of the hall much more fitting than a highly styled interior,” comments Professor Mathias Pfeil, Curator General of the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Historic Monuments. That is why the iron doors, arched-head windows and many other features were also restored rather than replaced. It was possible to retain most of the original windows, by reinforcing them with forward-mounted fire-resistant windows. Only a few had to be replaced. The company commissioned to carry out the work, Niebuhr Stahlglastechnik in Gardelegen, fabricated the fire-resistant constructions using the Janisol 2 profile system from Jansen. The new, slender units blend in with the existing building, easily recognisable with their uniform grey colour (DB 703), which was retained from the original windows.
Glazed link connection
gmp Architekten ensured that the old building flows seamlessly into the new building. The “link”, which joins the external walls of Hall E with the newly constructed philharmonic concert hall, has two diverging staircases and is one of two main architectural statements on the Gasteig HP8 site. The other is the orientation of the ensemble away from the urban hustle and bustle and towards the nearby Isar canal. A newly constructed forecourt here creates a connection to the surrounding nature. That is why Hall E has two main entrances – one via the busy Hans-Preisinger-Strasse (which is where it gets the name HP8), and another via the new forecourt. Both entrances were constructed with steel profiles from Jansen. Niebuhr Stahlglastechnik fabricated them using the VISS façade system and Janisol door leaves. In front of the doors are burglar-resistant security grilles made from square steel tubes. They allow night-time cross ventilation on hot days. This remarkable, well thought-out solution demonstrates just how much care the architects took when renovating Hall E. The result is a public space that is busy all day long, which will no doubt endure beyond its interim use by the philharmonic orchestra.
Product information
Inspiration from the reference project
