September 3rd, 2019.
iconic skin has supplied ISOshade®, an insulating glass with integrated sun blind, to refurbish the façade of the St. Afra Diocesan Museum in Augsburg. The museum’s new glass façade is made up of three elements each nearly 7m high. ISOshade® fulfils the highest demands in terms of design and transparency. At the same time, the ISOshade® elements satisfy thermal and sound insulation requirements and provide sun shading that can be varied to protect the sensitive exhibits against UV light.
In 2018, the former mullion/transom façade was renovated as part of an important energy efficiency upgrade. To protect the exhibits against sunlight but also comply with interior lighting requirements for events, the glass façade now includes adjustable vertical blinds. The client also wanted to create an attractive, homogeneous entrance to welcome visitors. ISOshade® is a solution that combines good thermal and sound insulation with protection against sunlight in one compact unit.
Play of light and shade inside the museum
“Inside the museum, we face different challenges”, says Melanie Thierbach, Museum Director. “We want to provide visitors with a pleasant interior with ample daylight, but at the same time protect sensitive exhibits against sunlight. This insulating glass is the right solution for us. The integrated venetian blind can be adjusted regardless of the weather conditions. Even during a snowstorm or high winds, it is possible to adjust the angle of the slats, and they make no annoying noise. Our specification called for efficient protection against glare plus a pleasant interior climate. ISOshade® satisfies those requirements brilliantly.”
The ISOshade® façade was designed as structural glazing. iconic skin supplied three 6.7m high ISOshade® RS elements with integrated venetian blinds. Each element has an identical glass make-up: triple glazing on the inside, which achieves a Ug value of 0.6 W/(m²K), and laminated safety glass on the outside to ensure intruder resistance. At the same time, the outer pane protects the integrated sunblind against dirt, wind and weather.
Economical double-skin façade without energy consumption
The ISOshade® façade is a closed double-skin façade that function is based on building physics principles. Usually, closed double-skin façades use an energy-intensive pressurized air supply or a ventilation system: Compressed, dried air is distributed through a pipe system to manage condensation in the cavity. The cavity within ISOshade® conditions itself via a volume-dependent system. This eliminates the need to purchase, install and build any ventilation or piping system, and at the same time reduces operating and life cycle cost.
Big formats for big benefits
ISOshade® was supplied in an oversize format for the St. Afra Diocesan Museum so that the elements could extend uninterrupted from floor to roof. Each element is clamped to structural members top and bottom. The vertical joints between the three elements were sealed after installation and the façade was completed within a day. The façade was installed by metal construction company Bernd Zienert.
About the St. Afra Diocesan Museum
This museum in Augsburg displays archaeological excavations from Roman times, the famous Ottonian bronze portal from Augsburg Cathedral, precious textiles from the Middle Ages, the unique funerary arms of Emperor Karl V and valuable Gothic and Baroque artefacts from various churches in and around Augsburg, right up to contemporary art. The museum building is itself an experience as it provides a harmonious link between a modern section with rooms dating from the 1950s and 1960s plus the Romanesque chapter house, the late-Gothic Ulrich Chapel and the cloister. For further information go to www.museum-st-afra.de.
Press contact
Verena Simon
Marketing Manager
Phone +49 821 2494 – 303
verena.simon[at]iconic-skin.com
