Designed by Alfred Koerner, the building is spanned by a structure of steel three-hinged arches, creating an interior free of additional supports. During the refurbishment by Haas Architekten, the challenge was to preserve the delicate character of the glass envelope while meeting the requirements of thermal insulation and plant growth. A finer façade grid brings the building closer to its original appearance.
The glazing plays a central role in this balance. The insulating glass build-up, developed jointly with Glas Trösch and DuPont, combines low-iron white glass with anti-reflective and Low-E coatings. With a light transmission of 81 percent, it combines high transparency with thermal insulation.
A UV-permeable SentryGlas interlayer within the laminated safety glass also allows the proportion of daylight that is important for the plants to pass through. In this way, the overhead glazing meets demanding safety requirements without losing sight of the botanical needs beneath it.
The result is a careful continuation of a historic monument in which architectural heritage and technical renewal work together. The architecture retains its identity. Life beneath it continues to grow.
