ALUCOBOND® A2 was developed back in the 1990s, to address what was and remains today the issue of ensuring the protection of buildings and occupants from the risk of fire and smoke, but without compromising the creative freedom that delivers stunning architecture.
Arguably, one of the most outstanding works of architectural art, Gustavo-Haus in Berlin-Lichtenberg, Germany was clad in ALUCOBOND® A2 back in September 1999 and the cladding material is performing today as well as it did when completed over twenty years ago.
In fact, the project is still one of Europe’s largest works of art, the building sympathetically adorned with the then ground-breaking and inspirational idea of radically altering the appearance of the building, with the unique work of Spanish artist Gustavo. However, a novel and innovative design idea required a superior cladding product and ALUCOBOND® A2 was chosen as the only product presently available that was able to carry the stunning images and provide all the necessary fire safety.
Testament to the quality of the ALUCOBOND® A2 cladding the warm, vibrant, and refreshing character required of the building endures and the images – spread over some 15,000 m2 and which include a red sun, a royal family, and a shy actor, in strong bright colours, are as unblemished or touched by time as the day of installation.
The ASA Arbeitsgruppe Stadtplanung + Architektur Heinken – Rüter – Gossler designed building is still celebrated today and referenced widely as an example of how stunning visual designs and forward-thinking architecture are not mutually exclusive and can be achieved with the very highest levels of fire safety and energy efficiency.
Innovative construction methods used on the project twenty years ago are still considered cutting edge today, as the complexity of the project demanded the very best cladding. Only ALUCOBOND® A2 was capable of carrying the 11,000 sawn and milled jigsaw puzzle pieces in the 12 different colours that were required to recreate Gustavo’s art. Facade specialist HENKE actually developed a new substructure for the project, which allowed the horizontal and vertical attachment of individual pieces at freely selected places and has also proven itself for its durability and performance.
As Thomas Doll, Managing Partner of property investment group TREUCON said: “ALUCOBOND® is almost indestructible. You can also see from the durability of the façade of GUSTAVO house that it has not been affected in any way by the stresses and wear of time.”
Project Details: Gustavo-Haus
Location: Berlin-Lichtenberg, Germany
Façade Material: ALUCOBOND® A2 in 12 different custom colours
Construction System: Riveted
Architects: ASA Arbeitsgruppe Stadtplanung & Architektur Heinken – Rüter – Gossler, Berlin, Germany
Fabricator: Henke AG
Year of Construction/Renovation: 1999