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I D E A S , I M P U L S E A N D I N N O VA T I O N S F O R A R C H I T E C T STOP

FAÇADE

The university city of Freiburg im Breisgau has become one landmark richer. A distinctive residential building stands out in the western part of the develo-ping area of Gutleutmatten in the bustling district of Haslach. This nine-storey tower is already visible from afar and marks the entrance to the new city quar-ter. For the façade design, the architects of Harter & Kanzler chose Hagemeister clinker brick of the "Weimar HS" hand-finished sorting.

DISTINCTIVE AND PRACTICAL

The architects of Harter & Kanzler have crea-ted a 26 meter-high tower with 23 flats and 23 parking spaces in an underground gara-ge. It is situated directly in Eschholzstraße, the street which leads into the new Gutleutmatten development area and divides it into east and west. The building is shaped like a high-rise structure, a building typology which creates special lines of sight and shapes viewers’ first impression of the new city quarter. The multi-storey structure impresses with its defini-

SOLITAIRE CREATES IDENTITY

Gut leu tmat ten res ident ia l tower – Fre iburg

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tion of the building as a solitaire and consis-tent tower-like design with its distinct storey stacking. The expressive design of the building shell was also praised by architect Jórunn Rag-narsdóttir of LRO Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei, who presided over the investor competition judging panel.

The façades were clad with thin-format clinker brick of the "Weimar HS" sorting from Hage-meister. This brick impresses with its white/

Project data Gutleutmatten residential tower, Freiburg – D ArchitectureHarter+Kanzler, Freie Architek-ten BDA – Part GmbB, Freiburg Construction planning and implementation BOLD GmbH und Co. KGClinker brickWeimar HS (hand-finished) FormatDF (240 x 115 x 52 mm)Clinker brick-covered surfaceapprox. 1,800 m²

light beige basic tones accentuated with subtle traces of black-anthracite coal smoke and a surface texture which looks hand made. As the brick reflects daylight, it lends an addi-tional special effect to the already distinctive building structure. The building’s exceptional architecture is also characterised by heavily projecting corner balconies. Partial façades with relief accentuation round out this unique residential building. Shifting individual bricks out of the bond has created a masonry relief feature of protruding clinker bricks which add special accentuating detail to the building. Additional materials like light-brown aluminium for window frames and blinds, as well as concrete blocks and light wood for benches around the multi-storey structure, perfectly complement the light clinker brick.

Besides being attractive from afar, this signa-ture building also creates a sense of identity for residents of this city quarter. This has lent a certain architectural quality to the entrance situation of the Gutleutmatten area.

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kov»Thanks to their visual effect and sustainability, the best

façade material for residential buildings is clinker brick. It’s a natural material which ages splendidly and fits in perfectly with the Dutch building tradition. With clinker, it’s also possible to lay the bricks in a variety of different bonds in the façade.« Pim Köther of KENK architecten in Amsterdam

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Stylish and grand. These are just two features of Xavier, a new residential complex in the Zuidas financial and commercial district of Amsterdam. The building is U-shaped and consists of two seven-storey residential buildings and a high 21-storey residential tower. In terms of architecture, the planners have continued the design of the surrounding buildings, but they’ve also set the new buildings apart by using a rustic coal-fire clinker brick. Their façades were created using prefabricated clinker brick elements of the "Haltern GT" sorting from Hagemeister.

The three-building ensemble situated around a semi-public garden is divided into three sections in classical fashion: a base, a middle section and a crown with eye-catching balcony bands as additional structural elements. Vertically running pillars in the façade presenting as slim columns from top to bottom characterise the building shell. Horizontal bands with clinker brick-covered lintels can be found between them.

For the Xavier project, the architects sought a brick capable of rivalling the adjacent modern office architecture. "Thanks to their visual effect and sustainability, the best façade material for residential buildings is clinker brick. It’s a natural material which ages splendidly and fits in perfectly with the Dutch building tradition. With clinker, it’s also possible to lay the bricks in a variety of different bonds in the façade," commented Pim Köther on the surface detailing.

The decision was taken for the richly nuanced "Haltern GT" sorting from Hagemeister, laid in a pattern of masonry and window sections with various different bands of masonry and ledges. With its many repetitions, the strict façade rhythm responds to nearby office architecture, whereas the colouration of the clinker brick is a reply to the grey tones of the surrounding buildings. "Haltern GT" clinker brick features beige-white basic tones with red accents which partially show through and is accentuated with black-anthracite coal fire. "We like clinker brick with a robust, yet tactile radiance featuring the vibrancy of the handsomely fired clinker brick of 19th-century European architecture, for example," explained the project architect.

The two smaller residential buildings were clad in the traditional way. Load-bearing prefabricated elements were used on the

TACTILE RADIANCEside façade of the tower, whereas non-load-bearing prefabricated elements are found on the front and back. These prefabricated elements were provided with windows directly at the factory.

Xavier – Zuidas dis t r ic t o f Amsterdam

weather, large finished parts are manufactured in a hall and are moved on site by a crane. This enables work on the construction site to be kept to a minimum.

The prefabricated parts for Xavier were manu-factured in Loveld's Belgian plant – a specialist in the field of prefabricated parts. The sand-wich elements are comprised of a concrete slab, a layer of insulation and the outer layer of clinker bricks. The Hagemeister brick tiles are placed on rubber matrices and covered with concrete, which immediately forms the final look and feel of the joint that is 8 to 10 millime-tres deeper. The know-how of our colleagues ensures that the necessary requirements such as dimensional stability, rigidity, complete sealing and an excellent surface quality are met. After completion, the prefab elements are stored vertically on metal shelves before they are deli-vered on time to the construction site for use.

At Xavier, precast concrete parts – also known as prefab elements – with clinker brick tiles were used for the tower. These open up plenty of design freedom and are a good alternati-ve to traditional masonry work. They enable complex components such as arches, lintels, large-scale components and highly repetitive construction elements to be realised. Such detailed work usually takes a long time and costs a lot. By using prefab elements, planners gain in terms of design, economy and reliability when it comes to the actual realisation.

One advantage is that there is no difference between prefab sections and brick façade walls with conventional masonry. All the clinker and clinker brick tiles used come from the same firing process as that of the surrounding masonry. Each prefabricated element blends seamlessly into the characteristic appearance of the building. Another advantage is the simp-lified construction logistics. Regardless of the

Project data Xavier, Zuidas district of Amsterdam – NLArchitectureKENK architecten in Amsterdam, Netherlands Project architectPim KötherClientZuidschans C.V. (AM/BPD) and Achmea (rental flats)ConstructionWaal BouwPrefab LOVELD Gevelarchitectuur, Aalter – BEClinker brickHaltern GT as prefabricated clinker brick elementsFormatWF-R (210 x 35 x 51 mm)Clinker brick-covered surfaceapprox. 10,000 m²

Xavier – Zuidas dis t r ic t o f Amsterdam

»In conjunction with carefully devised façade openings, the nuanced interplay between round shapes and angular buildings gives the new quarter diversity of expression and reduces the apparent overall size of the buildings somewhat.«Rolf Gnädinger of Gnädinger Architekten in Berlin

Project data Das Gotland, Berlin – DArchitectureGnädinger Architekten in BerlinDesigning architectRolf GnädingerProject architectMartin Chmilecki Client/DeveloperPrenzlauer Gotlandhof GmbHClinker brickFarsund HSFormatDF (240 x 115 x 52 mm)Clinker brick-covered surfaceapprox. 5,500 m²

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CLEVER INTERPLAYFollowing the reunification of Germany, the Prenz-lauer Berg district of Berlin first became a trendy neighbourhood and then a family-oriented area. At the northern edge of the district where it transi-tions to Pankow, the office of Gnädinger Architek-ten created an L-shaped, seven-storey residential complex as a response to the still extant perimeter block buildings at the far end of Prenzlauer Berg. A clinker brick façade – in this case the "Farsund HS" sorting from Hagemeister – made soft shapes and curves possible.

The architects were faced with the challenge of specific urban circumstances. "The urban redensi-fication at the northern edge of Prenzlauer Berg where it transitions to the city district of Pankow, with its cubature and configuration, had to res-pond to the low-density buildings of the neighbou-ring former DDR embassy quarter and connect to the derelict areas of the post-war period and the existing perimeter block buildings," explained de-signing architect Rolf Gnädinger. He succeeded in this with the L-shaped "Das Gotland" complex. Thanks to their skilful arrangement, three smaller residential buildings form a sophisticated inner-city courtyard. A total of 136 units of different sizes have been created in the new quarter. Retail shops are found on the ground floor.

For the façade design, clinker brick from the Hagemeister factory in Nottuln, Germany were

Das Got land – Prenzlauer Berg dis t r ic t o f Ber l in

used. The architectural firm decided on thin-format greyish white with almost bluish nuances, sintered with charcoal fire of strong character, bricks of the “Farsund HS” sorting featuring a surface texture which looks hand made. Soft shapes and curves were implemented with the clinker brick façade. "In conjunction with carefully devised façade openings, the nuanced interplay between round shapes and angular buildings gives the new quarter diversity of expression and reduces the apparent overall size of the buildings somewhat," said Rolf Gnädinger.

The building surfaces feature an irregular bond. In conjunction with French windows and strongly projecting balconies, this results in a multi-layered façade flooded with light. For expansion joints, meandering joints featuring elastic interconnection were created. To emphasize the homogeneity of the buildings as a whole, continuous vertical joints were left out.

A glazed penthouse level with roof terraces com-pletes the building at the top. Clinker brick was combined with the materials of wood and metal. Powder-coated steel structures were developed for balconies, windows, the contrasting ground floor area and the recessed top floor. Thanks to its brightness, lightness and characteristic reserve, the building’s architecture brings Scandinavian flair to the Prenzlauer Berg quarter.

Project data Cathedral quarter Erfurt– DArchitectureOsterwold°Schmidt EXP!ANDER Architekten Project developers and builders Dr. Ullrich Real Estate GmbH, Erfurt Clinker brickWeimar HSFormatDF (240 x 115 x 52 mm)Clinker brick-covered surfaceapprox. 2,500 m²

After roughly two centuries, life is returning to the Erfurt Cathedral area thanks to recent re-newal of a residential quarter. The design by Osterwold°Schmidt is based on the idea of unify-ing the requirement for spacious living with lots of light and an unobstructed view with urban and contextual demands of specific spatial borders. This idea is supported by a façade design which uses clinker brick of the light Weimar hand-fini-shed sorting from Hagemeister.

It’s vicinity to the cathedral and city centre makes the location of the project very attractive – it’s an important factor in designing and dimensi-oning the new building while considering the preservation of historic monuments and issues of urban design as well. "Despite a high density of buildings in the city centre, very good high-quality living conditions are being created both internally and externally in specific visual connections and spatial impressions. Perception of the building from the outside has to correspond to this as well in a differentiating, yet cohesive, way," remarked Antje Osterwold of the Osterwold°Schmidt design firm.

The surroundings are characterized by the light sandstone of the cathedral, limestone walls and plastered surfaces. The architectural firm chose

QUARTER WITH CURVY PIZAZZ

»We’re continually impressed by the general versatility of clinker brick – different sizes, surfaces, firings and jointing, not to mention the base material itself, offer a seemingly endless variety of appearances.« Antje Osterwold of Osterwold°Schmidt EXP!ANDER Architekten in Weimar

clinker brick as the building material as a respon-se to the dominant colour tone without working with the exact same material. "We’re continually impressed by the general versatility of clinker brick – different sizes, surfaces, firings and jointing, not to mention the base material itself, offer a seemin-gly endless variety of appearances," explained the project architect. In addition to its increasing beauty as it ages, the long-lasting material of clinker brick features other positive attributes as well. Osterwold added, "For the area around the cathedral, we also appreciate the expression of a certain heaviness and solidity which once again supports the impression of solidarity and durabili-ty." The thin-format white/light beige clinker brick of the "Weimar HS" sorting from Hagemeister used for this project was laid in a random bond.

The appearance of the façades varies in terms of heaviness, permeability and solidity depending on the orientation of the building wings – whether facing the cathedral or the street. The number of clinker brick surfaces of each façade contributes to this as well. While the arched wing at the cathedral square is fully clad in clinker brick and creates an interplay with its windows and loggias featuring sliding glazing, the façades of buildings lining the streets feature a clinker brick-plaster combination and whitewashed clinker brick

surfaces. Inside the quarter, clinker brick surfaces are mainly confined to the ground floor. Plastered surfaces are structurally complimented by a large number of balconies and loggias whose metal railings with distinctive perforations associate with the clinker brick bond in a certain way.

Cathedral quar ter – Er fu r t

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»With this building in particular, we wanted to demonstrate the versatility of clinker brick in con-junction with the steps in the façade. That’s why we chose a clinker brick with vibrant firing instead of a homogeneous one, as it lends the new building a powerful presence with its relief work and varying bonds.«Nora Rasch of project-s Architekten in Berlin

Of f ice bui ld ing in Wilhe lms t raße – Ber l in

Project data Office building in Wilhelmstraße, Berlin – DArchitekturproject-s in BerlinProject architectsNora Rasch, Arne Bennert, Tina Wegener, Grit Müller-Binus and Rabie GebrylOwnerKUG Wilhelmstr. GmbHConstructionKrüger Bau Bernau GmbHClinker brick"Wilhelmsrot FUoS" FormatNF (240 x 115 x 71 mm)Clinker brick-covered surfaceapprox. 1,300 m²

More than 30 years ago, a fortress prison in the Spandau district of Berlin was torn down. Today, the area is a vibrant city quarter with a large supermarket. In a gap between two buildings formerly housing civil servants, an office building designed by architectural firm projects has been erected. The building’s faça-de is adorned with brilliant red bricks from the "Wilhelmsrot FUoS" sorting developed espe-cially for this project by Hagemeister. It ties the building to the brick architecture of neighbou-ring buildings and also makes an independent statement thanks to the multi-layered, detail-rich façade structure.

The compact building – with its square foot-print of 21.74 by 21.74 metres – is located centrally between the listed civil servant residences. Its exposed location gives the buil-ding shell special significance. "Each side of the building is of nearly the same importance," remarked Nora Rasch of project-s. "That’s why we saw it as crucial to give each side its own centre. This was implemented with 4-axis windows. The expression of distinct access situations elaborated with structural recesses was a main focal point as well, though."

PLAYING WITH LEVELS AND DETAILSTaking inspiration from the surrounding buil-dings, the architects also decided on clinker brick for the new office building’s façade. "Our design objective was to lend the building a certain rhythm using the façade to achieve this. The graceful, multi-layered structure of the façade, whose gradations make up a quarter of the brick mass and which also varies in the type of bond used, was a particular success," explained Arne Bennert, also a member of the project team at project-s. Overall, the details of the building shell give it a clean appearance while demonstrating the creative possibilities of a clinker brick façade.

"With this building in particular, we wanted to demonstrate the versatility of clinker brick in conjunction with the steps in the façade. That’s why we chose a clinker brick with vibrant firing instead of a homogeneous one, as it lends the new building a powerful presence with its relief work and varying bonds," according to Nora Rasch. The custom "Wilhelmsrot FUoS" sorting, which is oriented towards neighbouring buildings thanks to its red nuances, was developed together with Hagemeister. The other façade elements were

consistently coordinated in elegant grey. In this way, metal windows, door installations, metal slats of the external blinds and the outside lighting harmonise with the vibrancy of the clinker brick.

The new building fits right in with the en-semble of brick buildings, yet makes its own artistic statement. "With this office complex, the surrounding brick buildings which used to frame the entrance to the prison complex have been given a new centre," summed up Arne Bennert.

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Project data Fritz-Henßler Vocational School, Dortmund – DArchitectureSSP AG | Architekten Ingenieure Integrale Planung in Bochum, GermanyOwnerCity of DortmundClinker brick"Fritz-Henßler-Berufskolleg HS"FormatDF (240 x 115 x 52 mm)Clinker brick-covered surface: approx. 3,000 m²

»As a façade material, clinker brick not only visually harmonises with the old buildings, but also interprets the historic existing stock in a timelessly modern way.«Frank Köller, SSP AG | Architekten Ingenieure Integrale Planung, Bochum

CONSISTENT EXPANSIONMany buildings in the city of Dortmund bear the signature of well-known architect Friedrich Kullrich. This includes the Fritz-Henßler Voca-tional School at the edge of the inner city. The building, which was constructed in 1909, has undergone comprehensive renovation over the past few years. The architects of the Bochum, Germany-based SSP firm have modernized the school complex and enlarged it for future use as well. Clinker brick from the Nottuln, Germany-based Hagemeister factory was used as the façade material, as it visually aligns with existing buildings in a harmonious way.

The task was to expand the listed building of the vocational school in a sensible way. "The existing single-depth situation was consistently expanded by two long buildings into a double-depth situation," said project architect Frank Köller of the SSP design firm regarding the ove-rall concept. Here, the new buildings and their façades exhibit the proportions, characteristic system and features of the historic building shell. "The opening sizes and divisions of the window installations of the new buildings are oriented to-wards the existing listed building in terms of their arrangement and dimensional ratio. Amazingly, they still cover the functional requirements of to-day – more than 100 years later – even though they share the same design specifications of the first building," said Köller. The careful handling

F r i tz -Henßler Vocat ional School – Dor tmund

of a piece of building history and skilful arran-gement of new buildings reinterpret the school building in a contemporary way.

Thin-format Hagemeister clinker brick of the "Fritz-Henßler-Berufskolleg HS" sorting, which was composed specifically for this project, was used for the façade design. The white/light beige clinker brick of the new buildings contrast with the darker façades of the existing building, but they complement it visually in a harmonious way.

In explaining the decision for the clinker brick used, Frank Köller said, "As a façade material,

clinker brick not only visually harmonises with the old buildings, but also interprets the historic exis-ting stock in a timelessly modern way. The brick has special significance in the Ruhr region. From a historic perspective, it forms the foundation for rational architecture in the spirit of industria-lisation. The vibrant hand-finished look is also impressive." The use of bricks corresponds to the basic concept of sustainability which was very important with this project. In addition to clinker brick, other durable materials like cement plaster, concrete and steel which in combination enforce the concept of sustainability were therefore used in construction.

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The SSP architectural firm has already received multiple awards for this exceptional project, including the 2018 School Construction Prize, the 2019 International Architecture Award, Best Architects of 2020 and the 2019 Iconic Award, among others.

Partner of BDA Münster-Münsterland

Publisher: Hagemeister GmbH & Co. KG, KlinkerwerkBuxtrup 3 · D-48301 NottulnPhone: 00 49 - 2502 8040 Fax: 00 49 - 2502 7990info@hagemeister.de

www.hagemeister.deEditorial office and graphic design: presigno GmbH, DortmundPhotos:Photo credits at the edge of the images

Outside the doors of the Hagemeister brick works, a unique structure catches the eye of every visitor: a clinker brick pavilion. The so-called brick shell, which was designed and constructed in cooperation with Professor Peter Böhm, students at Trier University of Applied Sciences and sculptor Martin Kleppe, exhibits a brand-new method of construction. Using a combination of bricks, carbon fabric and concrete mortar, the team were able to create a load-bearing "shell" only 7 cm thick with an extensive projection and organic design language.

The brick shell was created through the joint ef-forts of education and industry. For several years, the Nottuln, Germany-based clinker brick works has supported the endowment professorship of Professor Peter Böhm and his architecture students at Trier University of Applied Sciences. For four semesters, this group were dedicated to the exci-ting task of creating a "clinker brick pavilion". "We decided on a design which supports the thickness of clinker brick as much as possible and could be implemented by us students", said head architectu-

FLOWING FORMS IN CLINKER BRICKral student Christoph Heib. What’s special about this structure is the fact that it measures only round 7 cm thick, yet it can support heavy loads.

On the surface, this thin, load-bearing shell simply appears to be a brick shell. Both the carbon fabric and concrete mortar remain hidden on the inside. To Martin Kleppe, sculptor and assistant professor, the advantage of the special connec-tion of these materials is obvious: "The carbon fa-bric doesn’t corrode, and you can build very thin load-bearing structures with it. We combined this high-performance concrete with the high-strength material of clinker brick, which is capable of bearing heavy compressive loads and is weather resistant." The appearance of a "single" layer of bricks is preserved by using a split clinker brick with a thickness of round 3 cm. Its internal ribbed structure increases the surface area for connecting the brick layer with the mortar layer of the structure as tightly as possible. The split clinker brick was laid with a cross joint and a complex herringbone bond in accordance with statistical calculations made. "The pavilion was developed in such a way that the static lines of force yield to the form. The projection enables the tensile forces which are also possible in this structure to be seen", said Professor Peter Böhm, pointing out the shell’s special shape.

The projecting part of the new landmark facing the national highway is especially prominent. An opening on both the left- and right-hand sides of the brick shell open up the space at those points and provide both inside and outside views of the designed open space and the company grounds. This structure made of brick and fabric concrete opens up brand-new possibilities for developing flowing, organic forms in the architecture of tomorrow.

Cl inker br ick pavi l lon, Not tu ln

»The pavilion was developed in such a way that the static lines of force yield to the form. The projection enables the tensile forces which are also possible in this structure to be seen.«Prof. Peter Böhm, Trier University of Applied Sciences