Impressive information and demonstration centre for renewable energies realized The architecture competition initiated by Stadtwerke Neustrelitz GmbH, a pioneering institution in the field of renewable energy, and the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was, ‘to create an information and demonstration centre for renewable energies’ in the city of Neustrelitz, Germany. The brief specified that the form of the building should visualize the use of renewable energies in combination with technological innovations. But how could a building visualize diverse renewable energies and their ongoing development?
Within the main energy flow of earth, water, sun and wind it is intended to symbolize the "energy network", by picking it up and reviving it. Renewable energies such as Geothermal energy, hydropower, solar energy, wind energy and bio-energy – all together generate a certain turbulence. This dynamism could be clearly seen in the first sketches by the architect Kerstin Heller from ARCHITEKTURBÜRO HELLER, Germany, whose design was selected as the winning entry. The building’s form resembles a spiral, or clothoid to be precise, which is mathematically expressed as a curve whose curvature increases linearly to its arc length. In other words, a small circle whose radius expands until it runs into a straight line.
The organic form of the clothoid provides the ideal basis for using ROCKPANEL’s iridescent Chameleon cladding panels (Orange/Green/Brown), enabling colour transformations on the facade in a fluid, eye-catching way. Situated in a prominent location, the 2500 m² building represents an iconic new gateway for the city of Neustrelitz.
The facade concept Thanks to the extensive planning time available both during the competition up to the realization phase, thorough research could be conducted into finding the most suitable facade material. Herewith it was important to have a sustainable material which fulfils all the requirements for a modern ventilated facade. The facade should underline the building form. “To implement the basic idea of the turbulence – to convert from the plan into a tangible facade, the choice fell on the ROCKPANEL Chameleon facade boards,” says architect Kerstin Heller. “This material masters the geometrical challenges of the clothoid in every detail. With the partially curved facade elements the building form could be underlined and became a sculpture, onto which a multifaceted, ever-changing play of light suggests the idea of turbulence. Simultaneously, the material fulfils all the technical requirements for a contemporary ventilated facade system.”
New ROCKPANEL Chameleon The iridescent Chameleon series from the ROCKPANEL Group creates vivid plays of colour on the facade, lending buildings a highly distinctive character. Thanks to a crystal-effect layer, the facade panels in this flamboyant series appear to transform colour depending on the angle from which they are viewed and the type of light.
There are four variations of Chameleon for architects and designers to choose from. Chameleon facade panels in the new Light Purple/Light Brown design display a subtle play of colour in pastel shades. Facade panels in the new Red/Gold/Purple design are more intense in tone, but again remain in the warm earthy red range. A facade clad with panels in the new Purple/Green/Blue colour combination creates a cool, classic impression. “This combination evokes reflections in dark water,” describes Frank Weigelt, Marketing & Business Development Manager from the ROCKPANEL Group. The ever-popular Orange/Green/Brown design remains available, its colour spectrum recalling a forest of warm autumnal shades.
