The Berlin Palace, rebuilt according to a design by the Italian architect Franco Stella, thrives on the contrast between baroque style and modern architecture. And when it comes to fire protection, old meets new: Contraflam and Contraflam Structure glazing provides protection in case of fire, both as part of the newly built interiors and the reconstructed main entrance by Eosander.
Triumphal arch with special fire protection glass
The Eosander entrance was built around 1707 and named after its builder Johann Friedrich Eosander von Göthe. It formed the central entrance to the second courtyard of the palace, the Eosander courtyard. During the reconstruction of the palace, the role and functions of the courtyards were reorganised and the 33m high triumphal arch became the main entrance into the Humboldt Forum.
Unlike in its original form, the arch is now closed by glazing to allow the courtyard behind it, which is now covered, to be used as a multifunctional foyer and event space. The resulting fire protection requirements demanded that doors and elements of the arch guarantee the room's containment for at least 30 minutes in the event of a fire.
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SHF / Alexander Schippel
The height of the Eosander entrance does justice to its triumphal-arch nature. Accordingly, large formats were required for the glazing. Since Vetrotech Saint-Gobain can manufacture fire-resistant glass in large formats, the company was able to support and advise the architects in the planning from the very beginning.
The required height of 6 m for the central section of the main door was not feasible. A fire protection curtain is now used here in case of fire. For the customised panes above, it was possible to work within the approval for Contraflam Structure, as well as for the customised glass and middle panes in the side portals. Contraflam 30 was used in the door glazing.
The special feature of the south side entrance is that it can be completely dismantled if, for example, large exhibits need to be brought into the Humboldt Forum.
Well-protected access points
In the various exhibition areas of the Humboldt Forum, fire doors and partition walls with Contraflam 30 glazing ensure that visitors are protected in the event of a fire. In order to do justice to the high spaces here too, it was necessary to obtain authorisation for existing approvals on a case-by-case basis.
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Among other things, the doors were subjected to a long-term function test. In some areas, requirements for increased sound insulation were added.
The result is impressive: Thanks to the possibilities offered by Vetrotech Saint-Gobain and its system partners, the combination of historical specifications with current solutions fulfils all requirements, both visually and in terms of safety.
Vetrotech Saint-Gobain is one of many companies that feature in our recent Glass Special 2021. Just click here and then hit the green button at the bottom of the article.
