Edition 4/2012

  • Altenmarkt community centre
  • More than STANDARD
  • Aluminium as construction material

A well-rounded solution 

A community, youth, and event centre under a single roof – Austria’s Altenmarkt is striking out in new directions not only organizationally but also architecturally speaking. Instead of a rigid administration block, residents perceive a modern, dynamic, bright ensemble of buildings. The dominating structure is based on the curved bed of the nearby Zauchbach creek. The building forms an arc that is visible from the town centre and offers additional space for an inviting forecourt. 

To provide sufficient shade for the building and to protect it from overheating as well as snow and rain, the projecting top floor also functions as a roof. The requirements for the 600 m2 façade are correspondingly demanding: It shouldn’t just be large, but also flat, should withstand any weather, and be characterized by a long service life and ease of care. For all those reasons, the architects at Planwerk Eben selected aluminium composite panels from Reynobond® Architecture. 

The dark tone of the façade clearly sets it apart from the white-walled ground floor. But its particular beauty lies specifically in its rounded shape. To achieve this form, the flexibly processed panels were shaped and cut to millimetre accuracy. To allow the façade to appear to be a large unit, the rivets were painted the same colour as the aluminium panels. The panels were then mounted on a substructure. Façade cladding and heat insulation were thus separated to provide effective protection from dew and rain. It simultaneously ensures a pleasant room temperature. 

Project: Altenmarkt community centre
Architects: Planwerk Eben GmbH
Total usable area in the community centre: 1,521 m2
Usable area in youth centre: 300 m2
Facade: 600 m2
Product: Reynobond® Architecture aluminium composite panels

Hosts: Heigl GmbH

EcoClean™ for a perfect impression

Numerous standard colours can be coated with EcoClean™. The new coating contributes to the self-cleaning of the façade as well as to the cleaning of the surrounding air, and is thus economically and environmentally friendly at the same time. Reynobond®|Reynolux® with EcoClean™ is available in the gloss levels of matt and satin. 

In addition to the special properties of EcoClean™, the high colour consistency and resistance of the standard colours guarantee a long-lasting aesthetic exterior for the façade. To achieve that, the façade panels are coated with DURAGLOSS®. This high-tech lacquer offers a high degree of resistance to bear bad weather, and UV radiation. 

The colour selection of the STANDARD palette includes both single-tone surfaces like different whites, brilliant blue, or powerful red, as well as metallic colours whose mild glitter is particularly effective in changing light. Whether discreet or gaudy, classical or modern – the standard colours of Reynobond® Architecture form the basis for a creative and uniform façade design. This opinion was shared by the architects of the community centre in Altenmarkt, too. The dark grey tone of the roof facade forms a marked contrast with the ground floor and simultaneously appears serious and high-quality.

Do you want to know what standard colours Reynobond® can offer? Then order a colour chart here now.

Modern recycled façades

Once aluminium has been mined, it can quite justifiably be considered a sustainable material. Just 5 % of the energy of the originally manufactured raw aluminium is needed when it is remelted and reused multiple times, with little energy and cost-effectively. About 70 % of the aluminium manufactured in the last hundred years is still in use today. In the construction sector, as much as 95 % of aluminium is recycled and reused in similar products with no loss of quality. In 2010, Alcoa Architectural Products recycled 2,538,000 kg of aluminium per coil coating system. In addition to the aluminium scrap obtained during production, we also collect the remaining polyethylene for repeated recycling. 

Convincing material properties

 Due to its special visual, physical, and economical properties, aluminium is used very frequently in façade construction – both new construction and renovation. Points for the material are especially its long life, weather resistance, simple and cost-effective care and maintenance and the many design and processing options it provides. These advantages were also attractive to the architectural team at Planwerk Eben. For the community centre in Austria’s Altenmarkt, the architects selected Reynobond® aluminium composite panels for cladding of the top floor. The façade should act both as a protective roof as well as a visual decoration.

Self-cleaning and air-cleaning façades

With Reynobond®|Reynolux® with EcoClean™, Alcoa Architectural Products has extended the advantages of aluminium with yet another aspect: The capacity for self-cleaning and destruction of smog in the surrounding air. The façade can make a contribution to a clean environment while reducing cleaning and maintenance costs by over 50 %.

Low energy consumption

But aluminium also has a positive effect on the energy consumption of a building. As a suspended, ventilated façade, it first protects the building from sun and rain. At the same time, insulation and walls remain dry due to the ventilated intermediate space. The circulating air prevents heat build-up in the summer and heat loss in the winter, ensuring a pleasant room temperature throughout the year.