10-25-2010 Mainz

Triad of Architecture, Glass and Solar

New headquarters of SCHOTT Solar in Mainz an attractive example of solar architecture

Mainz, October 25, 2010 – With its new headquarters, SCHOTT Solar AG is seeking to demonstrate how glass, light and sun fit together in a harmonious manner to form an architectural concept that even generates power. And most of the products used are even from SCHOTT. “Our goal as a manufacturer of specialized glass products for use in architectural solutions is to offer the highest quality and yet a great deal of design freedom,” explains Prof. Udo Ungeheuer, Chairman of the Board of Management of SCHOTT AG. With the new main headquarters for the group’s Solar division, building with assistance from the sun was particularly important. “In the future, a building will need to generate at least a share of the energy it uses on its own. Large surfaces, like the roofs and façades of office buildings, are ideally suited for being used in attractive solar architecture,” adds Dr. Martin Heming, Chairman of the Board of Management of SCHOTT Solar AG.

Perhaps SCHOTT Solar’s new corporate headquarters building offers the best example of what this type of concept can look like. “The building strictly follows the sun,” says the architect Wolfgang Marx in describing the idea behind the design. The floor plan is that of an equilateral triangle and the workplaces and meeting rooms are aligned along its legs. “The hypotenuse of the triangle, on the other hand, faces the street to the south and is perfectly suited for using photovoltaic technology with high recognition value,” Marx adds. For instance, the side that faces the street is a semi-circular curtain façade that consists of around 1,000 square meters of glass. 82 “ASI thru” modules from SCHOTT Solar have been integrated into the façade and generate electricity. These modules are semi-transparent, which means they allow for a share of the daylight to enter the building, but also provide shade and see to it that the temperature in the entrance hall remains pleasant. Yet another 26 kW solar system on the roof generates electricity. In fact, a large display in the entrance hall even displays the current yield of both systems.

Other products from SCHOTT were also used in the striking façade and entrance area. For example, anti-reflective “Amiran” glass on the lower floor offers a clear view of the inside from outside the building and vice versa. Blue body-tinted “Imera” flat glass that was also used in the elevator area glows in both the reception counter and on the floor. And anyone who takes the elevator to one of the other floors walks through a spacious gallery first, yet another decisive element of the entrance hall. They then walk through doors made of “Pyran” fire resistant glass before arriving in the office landscape that consists of a combination of team zones and single offices.

This project was realized by a local architect, companies from the region were also involved in completing it.

Overview of the new SCHOTT Solar headquarters building:

• Gross floor area 4,000 square meters on five floors


• Glass façade: 940 square meters, 290 of which consist of “Asi” modules


• Photovoltaic system on the roof: 26 kilowatts


• Photovoltaic system on the façade: 10 kilowatts


• 310 tons of steel


• 3,200 cubic meters of concrete


• 67 reinforced concrete piles all the way down to the load-bearing base at a depth of ten meters
  
  SCHOTT is an international technology group that sees its core purpose as the lasting improvement of living and working conditions. To this end, the company has been developing special materials, components, and systems for more than 125 years. The main areas of focus are the household appliances industry, pharmaceuticals, solar energy, electronics, optics, and the automotive industry. The SCHOTT Group is present in close proximity to its customers with production and sales companies in all its major markets. The Group’s approximately 17,400 employees generated worldwide sales of approximately 2.3 billion Euros in the fiscal year 2008/2009. The company's technological and economic expertise is closely linked with its social and ecological responsibility. The SCHOTT AG is an affiliate of the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung (Foundation.
  
  Download link to a ZIP file that contains these photographs in print quality:
  www.schott-pictures.net/presskit/70538.headquarter
  
  Press photographs are available for downloading under www.schott-pictures.net
  Further information:
  SCHOTT AG
  Klaus Bernhard Hofmann
  Leiter Corporate Public Relations
  Hattenbergstraße 10
  55122 Mainz
  Germany
  tel. +49 6131/66-3662
  fax +49 3641/2888-9140
  klaus-bernhard.hofmann@schott.com
  

  SCHOTT AG
  Christine Fuhr
  PR Manager
  Hattenbergstraße 10
  55122 Mainz
  tel. +49 (0)6131/66-45 50
  fax +49 (0)3641/28889-141
  christine.fuhr@schott.com