ARCHELLO YOUR CONNECTION WITH ARCHITECTURE

Recently, Limelight Sun Control Systems (a subsidiary of Hunter Douglas Architectural Projects Netherlands) completed the expansion and renovation of the Stadsgehoorzaal in Leiden. The rear façade of the building, adjacent to an indoor garden, is completely provided with floor-high folding shutters covered by wooden (Siberian Lariks) panels. The result: a highly dynamic and impressive façade presentation, but with preservation of warm nuances due to the wooden exterior.

The historical façade facing the Aalmarkt street is completely reconstructed. Hidden behind this is a completely new building with a small hall, foyers and offices. The motor-driven folding shutters are designed to ensure good working conditions by protecting these rooms from excessive heat caused by the sun and controlling the amount of daylight entering the building. When the window screens are opened, the façades undergo a total transformation; from a massively looking building component to a transparent skin. The motorized system controlling the shutters is regulated by a wind-sun machine. In addition, it is possible to manually control the rooms independently from each other.

Designing the window coverings is a project specific process. Although Limelight has gained broad experiences with the technical principals of motor-driven folding shutters, the great measurements and details of the shutters for this project required special demands to the construction of the shutters. For the first time, the shutters were constructed from steel to, despite their extreme height (4.3 meters), make their thin lay-out possible.

With this motor-driven folding shutters project, Limelight once again showed itself to be an all-around partner in construction and architecture: from the starting point of the designing phase of a project to the actual delivery of an highly effective and integrated working building solution.