Industrial building with aluminium foam facade
When commissioning industrial buildings, functionality and design often contradict each other. This is most frequently the case, when it comes to power stations, due to the many restraints brought about by the inbuilt technology which demands the architecture to meet certain strict design guidelines. Such constraints could include certain wall requirements such as the ability to withstand 10000 m3 of hot air circulating through them every hour. Aluinvent two-side open (LO2) panels were restricted to only be used in areas where there were no interior working elements blocking the light from travelling through. The above limitations required us to develop a unique and tailored strategy for the application of the Aluinvent architectural panels in a way that allowed us to create a unified and elegant appearance for the building. The biomass power station is situated in the industrial district of the outskirts of Virovitica, Croatia.
The building is highly visible on approach to the city, and is one of the first buildings encountered when exiting the motorway. Achieving a modern architectural aesthetic was of paramount importance for the client and the goal was to establish the power station as a green beacon for the city; self sustaining, producing green sustainable energy and built using low carbon materials and techniques.
Air permeable aluminium foam sandwich panel facade
In order to meet the high visual and technical standards required, we chose to use the Aluinvent two-side-open (LO2) transparent version of our aluminium foam panels, in a combination of 5 shades of green. The panels were screw fixed to our aluminium console-railing system. This way air is able to penetrate through the façade and allows hot air to circulate freely through the designated channels in the wall. The Aluinvent two-side-open (LO2) panels allow light to shine through so we placed LED lights in between the panels to create the logo of the town, which is visible at night time.
Easily maintainable façade solution, creates an easily maintainable industrial building
The biomass power station uses surplus, woodchips as firewood from the neighbouring timber manufacturer which are normally disposed of. Most of the heat from the generation of electricity is further circulated into the drying system where it is continuously reused, therefore it is highly energy efficient. The developer’s main goal is to create a positive environmental impact that is clearly demonstrated by the aesthetics of the green panels. The fact that the panels are made from a 100%
recycled material, further intensifies the environmental benefits beyond just its thriving, colourful aesthetic.
