Foro del Cobre -...

Foro del CobreRevista paRa el cobRe en el sectoR de la constRuccion • 25/2008

• Premio a “Stella Maris”

• El arte en cobre Marie Louise Kold

• Decoración y arquitectura con cobre

• Sala de conciertos de Helsinki, estado actual

EditorialBienvenido a un nuevo e interesante número de Copper Forum. Una de las muchas propiedades del cobre es la pá-tina natural que lo va recubriendo con el tiempo. Según su ubicación, y el viento y clima reinantes, es posible ver la rapidez con qué la brillante super-ficie del metal nuevo adquiere nuevas dimensiones de belleza y profundidad. Y precisamente cuando usted pensaba que ya no cambiaría más, empiezan a aparecer nuevos matices.En este número, examinaremos la percepción que tienen los artistas de la magia del cobre: “En el cobre diviso un mundo de posibilidades y un con-traste tan fabuloso, que estoy enamorada de este material,” dice Marie Louise Kold, quien en sus fantásticas obras de arte en cobre experimenta con distintos sistemas para conseguir la pátina.También analizaremos las tendencias que sigue la arquitectura, donde el cobre se usa cada vez más en una amplia gama de superficies y acabados, como manifiesta el arquitecto Chris Hodson, quien nos

guía por un periplo en el que presenta algunos proyectos sumamente interesantes donde es el cobre quien confie-re el toque final al edificio. También presentaremos “La Guía Verde,” destinada a arquitectos, que se acaba de publicar en el Reino Unido y es una especie de manual en el uso de materiales de construcción que respetan el medio ambiente. Desde la perspectiva del cobre, es magnífico comprobar que en dicha guía nuestro metal saca una nota muy alta como material de cubiertas y fachadas. El año próximo, 2009, llegará otra vez el momento de entregar el galardón “Copper Award” para premiar el mejor proyecto de Europa realizado usando cobre. Te-nemos que haber recibido las propuestas de candidatos en mayo de 2009. Evidentemente, Copper Forum irá siguiendo los acontecimientos, y en ediciones futuras presentaremos los proyectos propuestos.Disfrute de la lectura de estas páginas y recuerde que agradeceremos sus aportaciones y comentarios. Póngase en contacto con el jefe de redacción si desea enviarnos material.

Lennart Engström, Editor

Copper Forum, Octubre 2008

Copper Forum forma parte de la actual “Campaña Europea del Cobre en la Arquitectura” y aparece dos veces al año con una difusión de 20.000 ejemplares.

La revista se distribuye a arquitectos y profesionales de la industria de la construcción en Rusia, Polonia, Dinamarca, Noruega, Suecia, Finlandia, Hungría, República Checa, España y Reino Unido.

Editor: Lennart Engström, tel +46 706574734, fax +46 21198704, [email protected]

Direccion: Copper Forum c/o Outokumpu Copper Products AB, Metallverksgatan 5, Box 510, SE-721 09 Västerås, Sweden

Editor: Lennart Engström, Luvata Pori OY

Presentacion y produccion técnica: Naula Grafisk Design/M Reklam

Impresion: Intellecta Strålins 2008, Sweden

Direccion de editorial:Mogens Praestegaard, Danmark +45 40285157 [email protected]åkan Svedman, Sweden +46 2119 82 50 [email protected] Rudidalen, Norway +47 2324 7469 [email protected] Tähtinen, Finland +358 26266612 [email protected] Savola, Finland +358 26266111 [email protected] Zhigalina, Ryssland +7 8123202050 [email protected] Ionov, Russia +7 0957872792 [email protected] Sawicki, Poland +48 (22)8258252 [email protected] Zakrzewski, Poland +48 717812504 [email protected] Pinter, Czech Republic +36 12664810 [email protected]í Kratochvíle, Czech Republic +42 0261122542 [email protected] Robinson, UK +44 (0)1992511117 [email protected]

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ÍNDICE

4 Nuevo edificio de Skellefteå Kraft con valores arquitectónicos clásicos

6 El arte del cobre - Marie Louise Kold

10 Villa Luvata desafía el mar

13 Edificios cálidos con Tombak

14 La Iglesia de San Juan, Tartu, Estonia

16 New wooden boat centre in Kotka town

19 Casa Entreprise Tombakfacade

20 De Korenbloem in Hoorn shopping centre

22 Blue and green – The Astir Palace bungalows in Greece

24 European Architectural Awards Launch

26 Copper Decoration and Architecture

30 Green copper – Green house

32 Helsinki Music House present status

36 Award-winning, luxurious ”Stella Maris”

38 Circular building Helsinki

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Nuevo edificio de Skellefteå Kraftcon valores arquitectónicos clásicos

La nueva oficina central de la compañía eléctrica sue-ca Skellefteå Kraft es un edificio que cuida los valores clásicos de la arquitectura. Se ha construido con ma-teriales de alta calidad y técnicas bien probadas, y dis-eñado y planificado considerando un uso a largo plazo. El objetivo era crear una obra interesante, funcional y económica, hoy y dentro de cincuenta años. La planificación del edificio se realizó partiendo de una perspec-tiva muy amplia, con el cliente como inquilino y administrador. Esto condujo a la elección de soluciones y sistemas optimizados para el coste total de un ciclo de vida, en el que se incluyó la funcionalidad, el mantenimiento y los gastos operativos. Skellefteå Kraft es una empresa de entera propiedad del mu-nicipio de Skellefteå, Suecia, y ocupa el puesto de cuarto sum-inistrador de energía del país. Desde la década de 1960 ha te-nido su oficina principal en un punto céntrico de la ciudad de Skellefteå. Debido a su constante crecimiento aumentaron las necesidades de personal. En 2006 la empresa encargó al gabinete de arquitectos GA Sweden AB un proyecto paralelo de ampli-ación de las antiguas oficinas, con un exterior similar, y locales para nuevos centros de trabajo de producción y distribución de energía eléctrica. Cuando esté terminado, el edificio será el de mayor altura de la ciudad de Skellefteå. En su centro tiene un atrio interior de seis plantas de altura para crear dinámica social y sensación de actividad. Alrededor del atrio hay locales de oficina, con grandes salas de reunión en las esquinas. La zona oeste es de doce plan-tas, con una sala de juntas, y suites para ejecutivos en la parte superior. El diseño del edificio sigue líneas arquitectónicas clásicas que han superado el paso de los años. Está situado junto al inmueble existente de la empresa, construido durante la década de 1960, que ha influido en las alturas de las plantas y las dimensiones modulares. La cota básica de 1300 se ha dividido en 400 y 900, y constituye la base de los niveles, la sección y la fachada. Estas dimensiones también se han reflejado en el diseño interior y en los techos.

El entramado del edificio es pesado y retiene el calor, y está construido de hormigón vertido in situ, con pilotes interiores y pared exterior. La fachada se ha configurado para que forme una estructura sin usar materiales orgánicos. Tres capas de per-nos de acero provistos de material aislante, detrás de placas de fibrocemento, soportan el revestimiento de la fachada, formado por cassettes en paneles de cobre de 1,25 mm con piezas de su-jeción ocultas. Las ventanas son de aluminio y están adentradas hasta la mitad del espesor de las paredes. Junto con los cassettes de cobre y el empanelado interior de abedul, proporcionan un espesor de pared total de 680 mm y una sólida impresión de que el inmueble está revestido de chapa de cobre.Dentro, el hormigón está descubierto y complementado por paneles de abedul y secciones de acero.Externamente el edificio está parcialmente revestido de chapa metálica. Las hornacinas profundas y la pared exterior sellada contribuyen a una retención favorable de la energía, reduciendo la radiación térmica. A pesar de sus sólidos muros exteriores, el edificio ofrece una impresión de ligereza gracias a sus muchas ventanas. En 1924 se descubrió en Boliden, en las afueras de Skellefteå, el mayor yacimiento de cobre de Europa. La vinculación con este metal siempre ha sido muy intensa en esta ciudad, y la experi-encia administrativa del cliente, que se remonta a un siglo atrás, contribuyó a la elección del revestimiento de la fachada. Está recubierta con 9 000 cassettes, comprendiendo chapa, rejas y ac-cesorios de cimientos, construidos también como cassettes. Para un arquitecto es muy interesante trabajar con la industria de la chapa de metal, debido a que puede ofrecer productos hechos a medida con acabados industriales, a diferencia de otros ramos del sector de la construcción. Es decir, como una especie de “alta costura” con producción racional.

El sistema modular repetitivo usando una selección limitada de materiales de calidad, y las soluciones principales reiteradas de los detalles han creado las condiciones idóneas para una ejecución de gran clase.

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Cliente: Skellefteå Kraft ABRepresentante: Karl-Johan Öhgren

Arquitecto: General Architecture

Josef Eder arquitecto SAR/MSAOlof Grip arquitecto MSA

John Billberg arquitecto SAR/MSA Fabian Blücher arquitecto SAR/MSA Erik Persson arquitecto MSA Sanna Söderhäll arquitecto MSA Erik Gardell arquitecto MSA Jan Lidström arquitecto SAR/MSA Bengt Drakenmark arquitecto SAR/MSA

Constructora: WSP Skellefteå

Jefe de proyecto: Rolf Öberg

Contratista general: NCC Construction AB Skellefteå

Inicio del proyecto 2006Entrega al cliente 2009


Cuando Marie Louise Kold quedó cautivada por las caracterís-ticas del cobre en 1997, se percató en seguida de que este metal se convertiría en su medio de expresión artística. “No fue una elección evidente y no me puse las cosas fáciles optando por un material que tiene tantas posibilidades de creación independien-tes. No obstante, en el cobre vi un mundo de oportunidades y si-nergias sorprendentes y, sencillamente, me enamoró,” dice ella.

Mientras aprendía a imprimir con planchas de cobre durante sus estudios en la Escuela de Arte de Lund, en Suecia, fue cuando Marie Louise observó que la plancha de este metal era más fas-cinante que los impresos que producía. Especialmente cuando el cobre había perdido su superficie original brillante. “La pro-fundidad y dinamismo que mostraba la superficie del metal des-pués del mordentado, y al pasar el tiempo y al tocarlo, no podía transferirse al papel. Por tanto, cesé de usarlo para imprimir, lo convertí en obra de arte y empecé a experimentar con distin-tas maneras de alterar la pátina que forma,” continúa diciendo. Después de la escuela de arte, recibió formación en metalurgia y moldeado con fundición de bronce. Su intención era conocer mejor los materiales cúpricos y sus posibilidades. Como resultado de ello, la técnica que brotó durante el apren-dizaje de la impresión con grabados de cobre nunca ha termina-do de desarrollarse en las manos de esta artista danesa. Marie Louise Kold trabaja con cobre, latón y bronce. Como elementos para sus obras usa lámina de cobre de 0,05 mm, que ella conforma tridimensionalmente, y para los demás elementos integrantes trata metal de 0,4-2 mm con cloruro férrico o ácido nítrico. La pátina subsiguiente la produce con cloruro de amo-nio, amoníaco, sulfato de cobre, nitrato de cobre y sulfato de hierro, entre otras sustancias químicas. También usa ampliamente agua de la lluvia y el azufre, sobre todo para los retratos grandes, que compone mediante miles de pequeños cuadros de cobre o bronce, que patina individualmen-te antes de colocarlos uno junto al otro al igual que un rompe-cabezas gigante. Algunos de los cuadros los deja a la intemperie durante días, otros durante meses. La acidez de la lluvia a causa de su contenido de azufre, al igual que la contaminación, crean distintos matices. La pátina del metal a veces se convierte en una forma de expresar y medir el tiempo, y el proceso prosigue durante muchos años después de que la obra haya abandonado las manos del artista. Por ello, las obras de arte experimentan un cambio constante, pero lento.

EL ArTE EN CoBrE

Detalle de su última obra, creada con cobre mordentado y patinado, y lámina de cobre

Datos: Nacida en 1974 in Århus, Dinamarca

Estudio: Malmö, SueciaPágina Web

: www.mlkold.com

Abuelo – Origen en cambio constante; 1014 cuadros de cobre patinado individualmente

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Detalle de su última obra, creada con cobre mordentado y patinado, y lámina de cobre

Selección de obras confeccionadas con cobre mordentado y patinado, lámina de cobre y latón

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Vida – cobre/lámina de cobre mordentada y patinada

“Aplico un tratamiento de cera cuando termino las obras. Esto frena notablemente el posterior envejecimiento, pero no lo detie-ne. Creo que debería dejarse que el metal continuara mostrando las huellas de lo que ha experimentado, tanto si es la intemperie como gente que quiere tocarlo. La facultad de cambio del cobre fue precisamente lo que despertó mi interés. Por tanto, sería com-pletamente equivocado paralizar este proceso.” A medida que Marie Louise Kold desarrollaba su técnica, tam-bién crecía la demanda local e internacional por su arte. Exposi-ciones individuales en París y Escandinavia han hecho que sus creaciones sean adquiridas por autoridades municipales, empre-sas y particulares de muchos países. Ha realizado varios encar-gos importantes, entre ellos uno para los anteriores embajadores americanos en Dinamarca, Stuart y Wilma Bernstein, que le pi-dieron el mayor retrato creado por la artista hasta la fecha, com-puesto por más de 3000 cuadritos de cobre. Frecuentemente Marie Louise Kold usa textos en sus obras, principalmente como elementos puramente gráficos o fragmen-tos de comunicación, que no tienen que ser leídos y comprendi-dos necesariamente. Las obras contienen potentes combinaciones de elementos de dos y tres dimensiones, y una extensa gama de colores, dibujos, estructuras y textos. Desde 2001 Marie Louise Kold ha trabajado a jornada com-pleta en su estudio de Malmö. Actualmente está preparando su segunda gran exposición individual, que tendrá lugar en abril de 2009 en Galleri New Form, de Trelleborg, Suecia. Como un nuevo elemento, la exposición incluirá varios óleos, también so-bre metal patinado.

“En el cobre he encontrado infinitas posibilidades, que ellas mismas son una constante fuente de inspiración. Me mueve la exploración de los límites – los míos y los del material– y me satisface poder expresar mis sentimientos en un material que a primera vista parece frío e impersonal, pero que yo encuentro cálido y que tiene una voluntad y personalidad propias, y que definitivamente, es mi medio artístico.

Estructura número 1 (detalle) – cobre mordentado y patinado


Hannele Numminen

VILLA LUVATA DESAFÍA EL MAr

El tema de la feria era “Construir en condiciones exigentes”.Construir junto al mar siempre es un reto, puesto que allí el clima es mucho más riguroso que tierra adentro. La cos-ta suele ser ventosa, y la lluvia y el agua salada atacan los materiales de construc-ción. En consecuencia, se dedicó un inte-rés especial a la durabilidad de las casas construidas para la feria. Algunos de los chalets se edificaron en pontones de hor-migón sobre el mar. Dos chalets flotantes se abrieron al público. En el año 2010 el número de chalets flotantes podría ser de 16 en total. Evidentemente eran la princi-pal atracción, ya que en Finlandia todavía no se han construido muchos de ellos.

La parcela de Villa Luvata linda con el mar por un antiguo muelle de hormigón. En tiempo tormentoso, las olas pueden salpicar la casa. Este fue un aspecto im-portante a tener en cuenta al proyectar el chalet. No hay duda de que se considera-ron las condiciones meteorológicas al di-señar Villa Luvata, que por su abundante uso de cobre debe ser uno de los chalets más duraderos de la zona ferial. Como ya es bien sabido, el cobre es uno de los ma-teriales de construcción más resistentes y con una duración de generaciones. Hoy instalarlo es fácil, gracias a cassettes y pa-neles prefabricados. Debido a que el tema de la feria era la construcción en condi-ciones exigentes, el cobre era un material idóneo.

Visión del arquitecto de Villa LuvataEl arquitecto Martin Wolff es el proyec-tista de Villa Luvata y de su abundante uso del cobre, lo mismo en el interior que en el exterior. Martín Wolf basó su diseño en la ubicación del chalet, en lo que pue-de verse, oírse y sentirse en el lugar. Un chalet de vacaciones debe producir una sensación diferente del entorno cotidiano. El clima de reposaari es riguroso, y por ello los jardines deben quedar protegidos. Villa Luvata tiene una gran terraza cons-truida de madera de pino para conectar la vivienda principal con la casita para la sauna. Unas condiciones meteorológicas rigurosas exigen que los materiales sean duraderos. Por ello, se ha usado cobre en el exterior, en la cubierta y en las paredes. Para crear una zona de feria funcional, era importante cerciorarse de que todos los chalets y sus residentes se integraran en el entorno de la isla de reposaari, con sus casas antiguas, la mayoría de madera. El interior de Villa Luvata está dividi-do en dos partes. La sala de estar, el come-dor y la entrada se han combinado con-juntamente y están en conexión directa con las terrazas exteriores protegidas y los tranquilos dormitorios, vinculados con el paisaje a través de las ventanas. También se usa cobre en la decoración, no de una manera extrema, pero con los colores más singulares y en los sitios más sorprenden-tes. Las franjas de cobre aportan buen gusto a las austeras paredes de madera, dice Martin Wolff.

Cobre desde la cubierta a los armariosVilla Luvata fue un encargo de Luvata Pori oy, que suministró el cobre em-pleado en la obra. Según Elina Kuusis-to, jefe de ventas de la empresa, se daba por supuesta una abundante utilización del cobre en el chalet, puesto que ofrecía una gran oportunidad de exponer el uso de este metal en las formas más variadas. Debido a que la aplicación arquitectónica del cobre se ha desarrollado y diversifica-do considerablemente, las ferias de estas características brindan una oportunidad maravillosa de exponerlo y comercializar-lo. Estaba claro desde un principio que la cubierta de Villa Luvata se iba a construir con cobre brillante ordinario que, sin em-bargo, iría adquiriendo un todo marrón oscuro en un par de meses. En la cubierta de Luvata se usaron lar-gueros prefabricados, unidos entre sí en-cajando las ensambladuras ya preparadas. Es un método simple y rápido, que no exige el ensamblado a mano o a máqui-na tradicional. El techo de cobre con su sistema de desagüe del agua de la lluvia proporciona al chalet una cubierta bella y duradera, bajo la cual los inquilinos pue-den disfrutar despreocupadamente de un panorama espléndido y del soplar de los vientos. La proximidad del mar también puede acelerar la formación de pátina en el cobre, pero queda por ver. La cubierta está provista por un gran panel solar, casi invisible. La energía generada por el panel

Cada año se celebra en Finlandia una feria de la vivienda sobre hogares de residencia perma-nente, y una feria sobre chalets para vacaciones en las que se presentan las últimas tenden-cias del sector. La popularidad de estos certámenes ha ido aumentando en el transcurso del tiempo. Este año la feria de chalets de vacaciones tuvo lugar en la idílica isla de Reposaari, en la costa occidental de Finlandia, aproximadamente a un kilómetro y medio del concurrido puerto de Mäntyluoto. El área portuaria está separada del mar abierto por rompeolas, y la zona de la feria queda dentro de ella. El chalet Villa Luvata abrió sus puertas al público a mediados de junio, junto con otros 25 chalets de vacaciones.

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solar calienta el agua del chalet, y se utili-za como calefacción en el suelo. Las paredes están construidas de pane-les de madera y cobre fabricados de ma-terial de Nordic Green Living. La base es cobre oxidado oscuro, con salpicaduras de pátina verde rociadas en la superficie. Esto da vivacidad a los paneles de color verde oscuro. El color armoniza bella-mente con el marrón claro de los paneles de fibra. Dentro del chalet, las franjas de las esquinas son de cobre, un detalle ele-gante para reforzar el colorido de los pa-neles claros. A los visitantes les sorprendió la versatilidad del cobre, al igual que su disponibilidad en muchos tonos de color diferentes, cuando esperaban ver sólo co-bre brillante.

El sol y el viento como fuente de energíaEl precio y la disponibilidad de energía preocupan a la gente. Constantemente se desarrollan nuevas alternativas que res-petan el medio ambiente y no son caras. El sol y el viento son fuentes de energía naturales, corrientemente bastante uti-lizadas en toda Europa. En Finlandia la energía solar sólo puede usarse parte del año, pero junto al mar siempre sopla mu-cho el viento. Villa Luvata aprovecha ambas fuentes de energía. En la cubierta del chalet hay

montados 12 metros cuadrados de pa-neles solares. Las uniones que atraviesan la cubierta están alineadas con las de los paneles de cobre. Debido a que el cobre pierde el brillo y rápidamente adquiere un todo marrón oscuro, los paneles solares son virtualmente invisibles en la cubier-ta terminada. La generación de energía anual de las superficies de captación solar se ha calculado que asciende a aproxima-damente 4 MWh por cada diez metros cuadrados, lo cual representa alrededor del 20 por ciento del consumo energético del chalet. El cobre es el elemento más importante de los paneles, gracias a su conductividad extremadamente alta. Las superficies de captación son una estructura modular que permite montar una sección enteriza larga en la cubierta. El panel solar genera alrededor del 20 por ciento de la energía necesaria para el chalet. Una gran caldera también abastece de agua caliente el sis-tema de calefacción del suelo, fabricado de tuberías de cobre. El 80 por ciento res-tante lo generan cuatro turbinas eólicas situadas en la orilla opuesta. Este chalet puede considerarse verdaderamente un modelo de edificio ecológico.


Photo: Kari Hautala

Armarios de cocina sorprendentesCuando se usa cobre en decoración in-terior, tradicionalmente se emplea en las chimeneas y ornamentos, y en instala-ciones de servicio público. El uso llama-tivo del cobre en Villa Luvata también es evidente en la cocina, donde las puertas de los armarios elevados están revestidas de chapa de cobre de color marrón avel-lana. Su superficie ha sido tratada con na-notecnología resistente a la suciedad, que proporciona a las superficies un agradable brillo. Los visitantes se interesaron por los armarios, puesto que antes no habían visto el uso del puertas de cobre en las cocinas. La pared detrás de los armarios también está revestida de cobre, que ar-moniza extraordinariamente bien con el color plateado de la puerta del frigorífico. El efecto no es frío, sino todo lo contra-rio, ya que los diferentes matices del color marrón generan un efecto cálido y de tranquilidad. En el chalet hay dos chimeneas, una interior, y otra exterior. La interior divide la cocina y sala de estar combinada en dos zonas separadas. Las dos chimeneas,

de esteatita, también tienen un toque de cobre. Las puertecillas de la chimenea in-terior están ribeteadas de cobre Nordic Blue, y la chimenea exterior tiene cobre en la puertecilla y en la pantalla. Usado en pequeñas cantidades, este metal deco-ra y vitaliza la superficie gris uniforme de la piedra. Villa Luvata es en su totalidad

ARQUITECTO: Martin Wolff

DISEÑO INTERIOR: Helena Karihtala

PROPIETARIO: Luvata Pori Oy

BCONSTRUCTORA: Tyylitalo Oy

una obra arquitectónica excepcional, alta-mente admirada por los visitantes y muy divulgada en revistas de diseño e interi-orismo.


Photo: Kari Hautala


Edificios cálidos con Tombak

Tombak es una aleación especial de cobre y zinc, con un contenido del 10 al 20% de este último metal. Es fá-cil de trabajar y su color marrón da un aspecto cálido a las obras arqui-tectónicas, como puede verse en los nuevos edificios del hospital Vend-

syssel, Dinamarca.

“Nuestra intención era crear un complejo armónico, que complementara los edifi-cios antiguos del hospital,” explican en su página en la Web sobre el proyecto los ar-quitectos de Aart Arkitekterne. otro pro-pósito era evitar el aspecto tradicional de clínica asociado con los establecimientos hospitalarios. Una de las maneras de conseguir estos objetivos fue mediante un extenso uso de Tombak, que gracias a su cálido lustre do-rado imprime un carácter completamente distinto del tono frío que confiere el uso de acero y cristal. A diferencia del cobre sin alear, el Tombak tampoco cambia su colorido a verde claro con el transcurso del tiempo. Su contenido de zinc impide que quede recubierto de verdete, y es muy fácil de darle forma para usarlo como revestimiento de fachadas, como puede verse en el edificio Tietgenkollegiet en Ørestad, Copenhague. “En el proyecto de Hjørring se emplea-ron un total de 30 toneladas de Tombak,” explica Henrik Lau, de Povl Sørensen A/S, empresa de rødovre, Dinamarca, especializada en procesos de corte y con-formación. “Dimos al material la forma de cassettes de hasta casi 3 metros de longitud. Envasamos las piezas con cui-dado en cajas de madera, y las enviamos al norte de Jutlandia para su montaje. El Tombak es un material muy fácil de trabajar, pero darle forma también pue-de convertirse en una operación delicada. Las huellas de los dedos y los arañazos son fácilmente visibles, por lo que aquí en la fábrica tuvimos que trabajar con una pre-caución extrema.

Suministros continuos a HjørringEl personal de Povl Sørensen A/S tam-bién confeccionó los paneles de Tombak para el edificio Tietgenkollegiet, que des-de que se instalaron ha recibido elogios de

todo el mundo por su extraordinaria be-lleza arquitectónica y el uso de materiales innovadores. Por tanto, los operarios de los talleres de rødovre tienen una gran experiencia en la manipulación de gran-des cantidades de Tombak. “Lamentablemente hemos abandonado la costumbre de revestir los paneles con film, debido a que se corría el riesgo de que la película quedara soldada a la su-perficie del Tombak. Esto significa que ahora hemos de actuar con sumo cuida-do al trabajar con este material, lo mismo en cuanto a la tarea de conformación que al enviarlo al lugar de la obra. Suminis-tramos este pedido en forma de envíos continuos, debido a que el contratista no podía trabajar más rápidamente de lo que permitía el proceso de construcción,” dice Henrik Lau. Kresten Lavsen de Grønbech Cons-truction A/S confirmaba este detalle. Grønbech Construction A/S fue el con-tratista del proyecto desde 2004, pero de-bido a varios problemas durante las obras, los edificios no se terminaron hasta hace poco.

Instalación externa e interna “Los suministros continuos de Povl Sørensen A/S fueron muy apropiados y los recibimos a medida que el proyecto avan-zaba a su ritmo propio,” manifiesta Kres-ten Lavsen. “Normalmente sólo teníamos dos operarios dedicados a la instalación de los cassettes de Tombak; ahora están terminando la tarea. Montaron cassettes de 1,5 mm de espesor usando dispositivos de fijación ocultos, a fin de que los tor-nillos no fueran visibles. Es un proyecto muy elegante y bien acabado.”

La constructora Grønbech Construction A/S también fue la empresa que ganó el concurso de licitación de la fachada del edificio Tietgenkollegiet, obra que con-solidó la colaboración entre Grønbech y Povl Sørensen. “Hemos acumulado una gran experiencia en el uso de Tombak en las fachadas, y es fácil distinguir a qué ar-quitectos y clientes les gusta este material. Es un producto atractivo y prácticamente libre de mantenimiento,” termina dicien-do Kresten Lavsen.


Iglesia de San Juan, de Tartu, Estonia

Esko Miettinen, arquitecto SAFA

La iglesia de San Juan de Tartu se construyó en etapas desde el siglo XIV hasta el siglo XVIII, cuando

recibió su forma actual. Está edificada con ladrillo y su primer lenguaje formal fue el estilo gótico. A lo largo de su histo-ria ha sido destruida varias veces. La parte superior del campanario y las bóvedas del coro quedaron en ruinas durante la gran guerra del norte en el siglo XVIII. Su interior se modificó en el siglo XIX partiendo de los planos del arquitecto G.F.W. Geist. Las fachadas se rehabilita-ron a finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX bajo la dirección de W. Bockslaff, un arquitecto de riga . La iglesia se incendió en 1944 duran-te la Segunda guerra mundial, y el muro norte de la nave se hundió en 1952. El proyecto de renovación del templo se inició en 1989. La constructora esto-niana oÜ Wunibald Ehitus continuó las obras en 1991. La nueva cubierta de cobre ha sido fi-nanciada con fondos aportados por los habitantes de Tartu, y en 1999 la iglesia pudo abrir sus puertas a los ciudadanos. La empresa As. Ehitusfirma rand and Tuulberg ha sido el principal contratis-ta de las obras empezadas en 2002. Su

objetivo más importante era restaurar el templo a su forma inicial, usando el ma-yor número de métodos de construcción originales. El proyecto de reconstrucción ha esta-do a cargo del arquitecto Udo Tiirmaa, de Architects ArG, en colaboración con el historiador de arte Kaur Alttoa. Durante los años 1993-1996 las obras se concentraron en la consolidación de los cimientos. Las estructuras de refuerzo de los cimientos de la sección del campa-nario se ejecutaron con pilotes de acero. La losa de la base de la torre se construyó en etapas, simultáneamente con la labor de pilotaje. De este modo se han creado unos cimientos de losa flotante sobre pi-lotes. Kari Avellan, licenciado en tecno-logía de la empresa de ingenieros Kareg oy, ha sido el responsable de esta parte del proyecto. Esta iglesia es un monumento impor-tante de la ciudad medieval de Tartu. representa una época pasada, por un lado repitiendo, y por otro reflejando y precediendo, la escala humana del paisaje urbano actual. La iglesia de San Juan de Tartu tam-bién es conocida internacionalmente por sus excepcionales esculturas de terracota.

Vista desde la calle de Jaani

Entrada a la iglesia

El campanario de la iglesia


Vista desde la calle de Lüübeki

Sección y planta de la iglesia. Cimientos del campanario


CoPPEr – THE ESSENTIAL MATErIAL oF THE INSPrATIoNAL WooDEN BoAT CENTrE


Sleek sailing boats were the source of inspiration for the designArchitect Jesperi Vara of the Lahdelma & Mahlamäki oy Ar-chitectural office states that it would be wrong to say the build-ing is simply an overturned boat. It is much more. The contour is patterned on the sleek lines of sailing boats and the structures of the hull, but bearing any constructional limitations in mind. The large glass surfaces give transparency to the activities, and together with the copper surface they reflect the vicinity of the sea and the port. The renovation and building of wooden boats require great skill and superb craftsmanship as well as carefully selected high-quality materials. This idea is best reflected in the selection of a natural and valued surface material for the façade – a material that displays the mastery of the highly skilled crafts-men and later on the patina of age. The shape of the building also inspired the architects to select copper. The practical demands made on the building were based on the instructions given by Wooden Boat Builder Allan Savol-ainen. Architect Vara captures the true nature of copper in his description of it as a natural and honest material with a timeless quality in any environment. Copper maintains its individual properties in different applications.

Kotka Town on the Baltic coast is the home of the sleek new wooden boat centre. Copper was considered as the façade material from the outset. The owner of the centre found the copper sheeting proposed by the architects so fascinating that there was no need to consider other alternatives. The architects drew their inspiration from the sleek lines and the hull structure of sailing boats.

Smooth cooperation and highly skilled craftsmanshipThe successful outcome of the project was guaranteed by smooth cooperation among all the project parties throughout the con-struction stage. Architect Vara admits that the highly skilled sheet metal workmanship and commitment shown by the Kan-gasniemen Peltityö Sheet Metal Works were vital to the project s success. Project Head Pekka Pynnönen of Kangasniemen Pel-tityö states that the project posed an exciting challenge, as it was a unique opportunity – there was no previous experience of anything similar. It was extremely important to pay scrupulous attention to every detail to ensure the architect s and the owner s wishes were carried out exactly as intended. This, of course, re-quired smooth cooperation among the different players. Careful planning and scheduling of delivery times of materials were also absolutely essential to assure the timely progress and completion of the project.

Written by Hannele Numminen


Building details

Originally the copper sheeting was intended to be 0.8 mm thick, but in the end 0.7-mm thickness was used. A total of 13,000 kg of Nordic Brown copper sheet-ing and Luvata NSF Panel 402 façade lamellas were used. However, the lamellas were slightly altered after sample installation. The alteration was easy to carry out as the sheet metal works had been com-missioned to manufacture the lamellas. The 1,300 lamellas used were mainly sized 600x1800 mm. Also 200 kg of Nordic Prenet net sheeting was installed on the building. Stainless-steel brackets and screws were used as fasteners, and the seaming is mostly of double rebating type.

Additionally, there are curved surfaces, which form the lower ceiling at the ends of the building. Double rebating seaming could not be used on these sur-faces, but they were seamed using the tongue-and-groove joints. The convex surface becomes partly concave with a varying radius. All these details were given careful consideration in advance, drawings were made and approval received from the architect before implementation. The substructure required uncompromised precision from the carpenters, but the closely cooperating building crew managed to overcome this problem, too.

The framework of the building is supported by steel arcs visible inside. Attached to the steel arcs are the glued laminated timber, the plywood, the supporting rails for the ventilation space, the surface plywood and the felt used as the actual waterproofing, on which the copper sheeting is installed. The main con-tractor of the building was YIT Rakennus Oy, which had also previously done building work in the Kotka area in cooperation with the sheet metal works. This meant that the supervisors as well as the carpenters knew each other from before, which facilitated the implementation of a demanding project like this, and ensured that scheduling and execution of the building work went according to plan. The completed Kotka Wooden Boat Centre is a fine example of superb de-sign and skilled craftsmanship.

The Finnish Wooden Boat CentreOwner: Oy Scripo Ab / Henrik Andersin

Commissioned by Martina and Henrik Andersin Project Coordinator: Leo Skogström

Architect: Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Oy Architectural Office /Ilmari Lahdelma, Jesperi Vara

Structural Engineering: Magnus Malmberg Oy Engineering OfficeMain Contractor: YIT Rakennus Oy

Copper roof: Kangasniemen Peltityö Ky Sheet Metal Works / Pekka Pynnönen


AE Stålmontage produced the 12 tonnes of 1.00 mm semi-hardened Tombak sheets for cladding with interlocking panels.

Client: Casa Entreprise

Architects: Vallentin & Haugland

Tombak facade: AE Stålmontage

Tombak facade on administration and warehouse buildingHorsens–Denmark

Casa Entreprise has moved into its

new administration and warehou-

se building, where the client and

architect chose to clad the administration

section with cassettes of Tombak, an alloy

consisting of 80% copper and 20% zinc.

Over time, the facade will change from its

characteristic golden sheen to an attrac-

tive bronze colour.

The project involves around 2,000 m2 split

between two administration buildings and

associated warehouse sheds. The sheds

are built around a common manoeuvring

area at the back of the buildings, so that

the administration facade faces the en-

trance.

By Mogens Præstegaard

Because the warehouse sheds need a

large manoeuvring area, it was only natu-

ral to keep their roofline the same as for

the administration buildings. As such, the

latter are integrated with the warehouse

sheds, to achieve harmonious incorpora-

tion of the building elements.

The administration buildings are raised

from ground level, to create a good view

from the offices and space for parking un-

derneath the building.

The sheds consist of light coloured con-

crete elements, and only the administra-

tion block is clad in Tombak.

The distinctive entrance consists of glass

and black zinc.


A mellow patchworkIn spite of its massive size, the building maintains a composed and peaceful appear-ance. The different height levels of the façade enliven and lighten the building. Ini-tially the architect had planned to use rock and glass on the façade, but changed his mind after becoming acquainted with the Finnish copper architecture. Inspired by the widely admired Laajasalo Church, the architect decided to use copper ribbons of two different tones with varying amounts of patina on the surface. The use of two shades and different lengths of ribbons creates an interesting patchwork quilt effect. However, the gradation of similar shades conveys peacefulness and balance.

“Random harmony”The street-level shopping centre merges into the building extremely well. The 34 apart-ments above the shops with their balconies and abundant glass surfaces lighten the colourful façade. The pre-patinated copper panels were installed without any precise plan to allow a fortuitous combination of tones. The result is a harmonious interrela-tion well balanced with the architecture in the rest of the building.

Equal amounts of the darker Nordic Green Living 1 copper and the lighter Nordic Green Traditional were used. The panels were 0.7 mm thick, and a total of 1,500 square metres of copper was installed. The finished shopping centre with the apart-ments is an interesting construction and certainly unique in Hoorn. The varied green of the patina tones with the lush park-like environment extremely well.

Pictures by Erik Droog from Rietvink Architects

Written by Hannele Numminen

”De Korenbloem” Creativity was given wings, when different surface patterns were al-ternated on the copper façade of a Dutch block of flats. Pre-patinated copper ribbons were toned in a patination procedure during produc-tion. When the shades and lengths of the ribbons were varied, the end result was entirely unpredictable. This kind of approach was adopted by Rietvink Architecten bna., a Dutch architectural office, which designed the business and apartment building in Hoorn – a perfect example of a successful and unprejudiced use of copper.


Architect: Rietvink Architecten bnaOosthuizen, the Netherlands

Contractor:Leebo in Drunen, the Netherlands

Pictures by Erik Droog from Rietvink Architects Written by Hannele Numminen

Arkkitehti: Rietvink Architecten bnaOosthuizen, the Netherlands

Urakoitsija:Leebo in Drunen, the Netherlands

in Hoorn – a celebration of copper colours


The five-star Astir Palace hotel on the Athenian Riviera

on the Mediterranean coast offers the guests a wonderful

escape to a world of luxury and indulgence. The hotel is

surrounded by the rich colours of Greece ranging from the

greens of the landscape to the blues of the Mediterranean.

The hotel also has a spa and 77 bungalows entirely renova-

ted over the past year. Prepatinated Finnish Nordic Green

PLUS copper has been used as the roofing material for the

bungalows.

Mediterranean copper at the Astir Palace

Blue and greenIn addition to the hotel and the spa the Astir Palace also has 77 bungalows built in long chains near the beach. The bungalows are built on different levels forming a terraced profile on the shore. The landscape around the hotel area mainly features various sha-des of blue and green, and one of the requirements set for the roo-fing material was that it would melt into the surroundings. Since the Astir Palace is located in a protected conservation area, which is archaeologically invaluable, a lot of factors had to be taken into account in the design stage.

The Zeppos – Georgiadi & Associates Architectural office were well aware of these special conditions when they undertook the extensive renovation project. They were familiar with the Finnish Nordic products and asked for product samples of roofing mate-rials. Among these samples they found exactly what they wanted! The samples of copper convinced the architects that prepatinated copper would create the effect they had in mind for the bunga-lows.

Excellent choiceThe Greek contractor Achilleus Techniki S.A placed an order for 47 tons of Nordic Green PLUS copper ribbon. The ribbon was de-livered prepatinated, which meant it was easy and quick to install. The shade selected appears naturally aged and is in perfect har-mony with the surrounding cultural heritage. Besides, the other properties of copper also justify its use: it is a durable material able to withstand the weather by the sea.

Installation was done by DBS-Stefopoulos, a Greek sheet metal works. The complete renovation of the bungalows was an extensi-ve project, but everything advanced speedily without any parti-cular problems, and the project was completed in seven months!

The word copper is believed to originate from the Greek Isle of Cyprus, so Greece has a long tradition of the use of copper.

By Hannele Numminen


Mediterranean copper at the Astir Palace


EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL AWARDS LAUNCHThe 2009 ‘European Copper in Architecture Awards’ have just been launched.

Architects involved with copper buildings are encouraged to enter and take advan-

tage of this major opportunity to present their work to an international audience.

These well-established Awards recog-

nise architectural excellence and cel-

ebrate the use of copper in all its forms.

The last two decades have seen their

transformation from a UK based pro-

gramme highlighting craftsmanship,

into a major, design-led Awards event for

projects across Europe. Following the

recent growth in entries – over 70 at the

last event - from a wide range of coun-

tries, the 2009 Awards 14 will, for the

first time, consider all entries together

to select the very best in contemporary

European architecture. This continuing

growth in interest in the Awards mirrors

the increasing popularity of copper and

its alloys as inspirational, as well as en-

vironmentally sustainable, architectural

materials.

The design-led competition covers re-

cently completed buildings in European

countries participating in the European

Copper in Architecture Campaign. To

be eligible, all entries must incorporate

cladding, roofing or other architectural

elements of copper or copper alloys,

such as bronze. But any building type

can be entered – from major landmark

projects to more modest buildings.

There is also a discretionary award for

innovation in specific areas of relevance

today, such as sustainable building, eco-

nomical construction, prefabrication,

conservation or new uses of copper.

Winning and shortlisted projects will

be featured in a special issue of the

international magazine ‘Architectural

Review’, which will be available at the

‘World Architecture Festival’, held in

Barcelona during October 2009. As with

previous Copper in Architecture Awards,

the best entries will also be covered in

Copper Forum. All entries will be judged

by a panel of practising architects at the

forefront of design in Europe, chaired

by Paul Finch, Editor of Architectural

Review and Programme Director of

the World Architecture Festival. These

Awards are proving particularly impor-

tant, not only to showcase the best and

most innovative uses of copper in con-

temporary design, but also to discover

By Chris Hodson

and present to a wide international audi-

ence exciting and inspirational architec-

ture that might otherwise be missed.

Images and information on winning and

shortlisted projects from recent Euro-

pean Copper in Architecture Awards

have been featured in previous issues

of Copper Forum and brochures can be

downloaded from the websites: www.

copperinfo.co.uk/arch and www.cop-

perconcept.org. Entry forms and details

of the 2009 Awards are also available

at these websites or via e-mail to: hel-

[email protected]. Entries must be

submitted by 31 May 2009 and the win-

ners will be announced at a presentation

in London, UK during September 2009

before the World Architecture Festival.

www.copperinfo.co.uk/arch I www.copperconcept.org


“It will be a pleasure to chair the 14th series of the Copper in Archi-tecture Awards. The standard of architecture in the submitted entries, and the imaginative use of this attractive material, has increased significantly in recent years, with the 13th Awards setting a very high standard indeed for those taking part in the coming year.

Architecture is an international activity these days, and the gradual evolution of the awards scheme to reflect the increasing specification of copper by architects working outside as well as inside their own countries has been appropriate and worthwhile.

I look forward to a stimulating day of judging in 2009, and to meet-ing the winners in due course.”

Paul Finch, Editor, The Architectural Review


There is a long tradition of using copper and its alloys for decora-tive embellishments and sculptural features, as well as a durable external surface for roofs, walls and other building elements (1). Although this tradition remains alive today through the skill of craftsman, it does not play a significant role in contemporary architecture.

At the start of the 20th century, the ‘modern movement’ her-alded the active removal of surface decoration in architecture – summarised in the words of Mies van der rohe: “less is more”. In this environment, copper proved to be particularly adept as a covering for the novel architectural forms that developed (2). Because of its unique characteristics, copper also offered archi-tects a solution to satisfying another modern movement mantra: “form follows function”.

And it continues to do so today, as this modern example shows with a complex building form designed as a direct response to technical wind and snow requirements of its Arctic location, en-abled by copper cladding (3). But the other modern movement credo “truth to materials” also held, so that copper was just used in flat sheets, jointed to suit technical rather than decorative re-quirements and with its natural finish simply allowed to change over time in the environment.

The development of alternative finishes, colours and surfaces really began towards the end of the 20th century – a process which continues today. The interest in the decorative potential of copper coincided with ‘post modernism’, considered as the re-turn of “wit, ornament and reference” to architecture in contrast to the formalism of the modern movement. And it seems that many architects are exploring new means of expression through decoration – but without returning to the past.

COPPER Decoration and ArchitectureArchitect Chris Hodson traces the changes in ap-proach by designers to the use of copper as a dec-orative material, leading to the extensive array of architectural opportunities available today.

By Chris Hodson

The first steps in adding choice to the traditional ‘bright’ mill finish of copper sheet were factory treatments providing im-mediately the dark brown oxidised copper or a green, textured surface with similar characteristics to the natural patina which takes several years to develop. Apart from the obvious benefits of these products, architects seized the opportunities to use them for design statements. For example, this British school is made up of interlocking cubic forms, each characterised by a different copper finish (4).

The patination process of copper has always intrigued architects and they continue to explore different creative surface treat-ments. For example, after completion of this shell-like, ‘Spiral Café’ in the Centre of Birmingham, an artist specialising in patination was commissioned to apply a coloured finish to the external cladding, resulting in a rich, textured and durable ex-terior (5).

In addition to these alternative surface finishes, new cladding techniques have also emerged, offering architects a variety of textures for their building facades. As well as traditional copper sheets jointed using standing seams or batten rolls which have a structured appearance, the long strip method was developed for greater efficiency. This method uses long, preformed ‘trays’ to minimise or eliminate horizontal joints - and has a profound effect on its appearance. Architects have taken this principle for-ward with striated cladding to stress horizontality – or alterna-tively verticality – whether in regular or more random bands (6).


By Chris Hodson

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5

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COPPER Decoration and Architecture

other techniques are also popular such as copper shingles that offer a distinctive ‘fish scale’ appearance using a variety of shapes including squares, diamonds and rhomboids (7). For a more linear appearance, copper panels pre-formed on two sides can be used vertically, horizontally or diagonally, while cassettes in more square proportions give larger areas of flat copper surface.

Most recently, alloys such as brass and bronze, and a ‘golden’ al-loy of copper and aluminium have been developed for architec-tural applications. Again, architects have seized upon these op-portunities to explore decorative treatments of effectively plain areas. In this Middlesbrough project, regular bands of metal cladding become abstract by the interplay of ‘golden’ copper al-loy panels with both mirror and mat stainless steel (8).

This trend for making a flat elevation into a piece of public art is growing. Another recently completed example – this time a central London hotel – combines brass and ‘golden’ copper al-loys to give apparently random, abstract coloured decoration to an otherwise flat, regular façade (9). But at close quarters, the variety and natural characteristics of the copper alloys add rich-ness to the surfaces, bringing them to life (10).

With other recently developed forms of copper, its perception as just a solid, rigid sheet is being broken down. In this example, buildings are encased with a quilted curtain of copper alloy wire mesh (11). The phosphor bronze mesh panels are held in tension, retaining flexibility and giving a remarkable tactile quality (12).

A key word in architectural design today is “transparency”, with architects exploring screens in front of glazed facades – or in some cases within the glazing assembly. Generally they protect

glazing from the sun and perhaps control views into the build-ing whilst allowing views out. But, of course, these screens help to define the architecture of a building and copper solutions are particularly popular. In the simplest form, expanded copper sheets give a regular patterns over glazed facades (13). Lighter versions are also used, in this case in the form of a 1mm thick copper ‘net’ (14).

Perforated metal sheet is a well-used component of internal building fittings and furniture but perforated copper has caught the imaginations of many architects with its transparent quali-ties and surface decoration possibilities for facades. In this Lux-embourg example, an irregular design of perforations is simply replicated on all panels, which are then juxtaposed together for a more random surface (15).

But probably the most innovative interpretation of this tech-nique – and on a major scale – can be found at architects Her-zog & De Meuron’s ‘de Young Museum’ in San Francisco, USA (16). This massive building is completely shrouded in a perfo-rated copper skin. The pattern of perforations is not regular but generated by images of tree foliage translated onto the copper in varying hole sizes. This process mirrors the visual effects of dap-pled tree shading across the building’s external surfaces. Added to this complexity is the architects’ intention that prevailing winds on the site will accelerate the patination process to some elevations, creating a natural variety of colours to the transpar-ent veil.

The approach taken with the de Young Museum exemplifies how architects today are exploring new ways to use the unique characte-ristics and opportunities of copper for architectural decoration.

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COPPER Decoration and Architecture

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The long awaited BrE (Building research Establishment) Green Guide to Specification has now

been launched in the UK. Although dis-cussions will continue between the cop-per industry and BrE to resolve some issues, the Guide provides independent endorsement of the low environmen-tal impact of both copper roofing and cladding. The Green Guide is a new, on-line tool – available at www.thegreen-guide.org.uk - providing architects with straightforward and independent guid-ance on making the best environmental choices for building materials. It looks at specifications for complete building ele-ments, including structure, insulation, weatherproofing and internal finishes - not individual materials. It then rates a wide range of these elements from ‘A+’ for best environmental performance to ‘E’ for the worst, using Life Cycle Analy-sis (LCA) techniques.

COPPER RATEDThe copper industry has been working alongside BrE for some time, providing the most popular copper-based roofing and walling specifications for consid-eration in the Guide, together with the most current LCA data. All the copper-finished roofs and most copper wall clad-ding specifications achieved the best ‘A+’ or ‘A’ summary ratings. Even the few cladding specifications with lower rat-ings could easily be improved by replac-

ing particular components – but not the copper cladding itself - with more sus-tainable alternatives, something that the copper industry is still exploring with BrE.

Apart from providing architects with useful guidance when selecting materi-als, Guide ratings form an important component of other environmental as-sessment tools such as BrEEAM 2008 and the Code for Sustainable Homes. BrEEAM is the Building research Es-tablishment’s Environmental Assessment Method, a widely used environmental assessment method for buildings in the UK and other countries, with the new version taking effect from August 2008. Various versions of BrEEAM 2008 have been created to suit common building types – such as healthcare, schools, in-dustrial, offices, retail, law courts and prisons - as well as a bespoke version for others types of building. With BrEEAM 2008, credits are awarded in nine catego-ries according to performance and added together to produce a single overall score on a scale ranging from ‘Pass’ to the new-ly added ‘outstanding’ category.

SUSTAINABLE HOMESA similar approach is also taken with the Code for Sustainable Homes, which re-places BrEEAM Ecohomes. Homes are rated from Code Level 1 – “above regu-latory standards” to the highest Level 6,

GREEN COPPERIn the last issue of Copper Forum (24/2008) architect Chris Hodson repor-ted on sustainability considerations for building construction in the UK. Since then, there has been a rush of developments which impact on the environmental credentials of copper in architecture, with important les-sons for other countries as well.


By Chris Hodson

an “aspirational standard based on zero carbon emissions for the dwelling and high performance across all environmen-tal categories”. The British government has confirmed that it is mandatory for all new homes to have a rating against the Code and it is also expected that national building regulations across the UK will one day require new housing to achieve specific Levels.

For use of materials, both BrEEAM 2008 and the Code for Sustainable Homes include ‘credits’ directly related to BrE Green Guide ratings for key ele-ments such as external walls and roofs. These credits range from 3 for an A+ Guide rating to 0.25 for D and none for E ratings. So, we can see that selecting constructions made up of environmen-tally sound materials has a direct influ-ence on the sustainability assessment of buildings. And in future, this in turn will determine whether or not the build-ing complies with UK law.

THE GREEN HOUSEHowever, it is still early days for the Code for Sustainable Homes and there are few examples achieving the higher Levels built yet. But on one new house achiev-ing the highest ‘Level 6’, copper cladding helps demonstrate that there is no reason why meeting the highest sustainability standards should stifle architectural de-sign. opened in May this year, Green

House is the first home by a “volume” house-builder to achieve Code Level 6. Designed by Gaunt Francis Architects, it aims to make sustainable housing main-stream and is designed as a test bed for Code-compliant materials, technologies, systems and strategies - with potential for mass production in mind. This pro-totype building will be rigorously tested over the next two years to assess its de-sign, construction and materials. Green House achieved an overall score of 15 Code credits for its key materials.

Copper was chosen by the architects for its special architectural cladding qualities to contrast with white rendered walls, alongside its sound environmen-tal credentials. The three-storey, three-bedroom family home was specifically designed to look more conventional than its neighbouring projects at the BrE In-novation Park - comprising the most pro-gressive, experimental, sustainable homes in Europe. Green House has proved very popular with consumers as well, winning the 2007 Home for the Future compe-tition with 22,000 readers of a national newspaper voting for it.


Helsinki Music House current status

Ola Laiho, architect SAFA

Helsinki Music House is an im-portant investment in Finnish

culture at the start of the third mil-lennium. Once completed, it will play an essential role in the Finnish music life.

The decision on the construction of the Music House was made at the beginning of summer 2008, fol-lowing an implementation design stage based on an architectural competition, and a long decision-making process.

The Music House will be located on a central plot in downtown Helsinki, opposite the Parliament House, in the vicinity of the National Museum, the Finlandia House, Kiasma and the railway station. Copper as a ma-terial contributes significantly to the townscape.

Esko Miettinen, architect SAFA

The winners of the design competition for the Helsinki Music House were an-nounced in 2000. The location of the House in the Töölö Bay area had been selected on the basis of extensive studies, deliberations and public debate.

At the first stage of the competition, 243 approved entries were received. Six of them were awarded as showing most po-tential for development. The second stage was open for all the participants who had submitted an approved entry at the first stage, i.e. almost seventy entries. The jury chose ”a mezza voice” as the winner, and the current designs are primarily based on the solution presented in this winning entry.

The primary objective of the location and layout of the building masses as well as the environmental approach has been to produce an integral and peaceful general appearance for the building. The House is fixed to the environmental coordinates, with the two sides of the main mass fol-lowing the directions of the Finlandia House and the Parliament House, while the tallest part of the main mass contin-ues along the eastern wall surface of the Karamzin Park. The tallest sections of the building are also as close to the green zone as possible to create an impression of a continuing belt of public buildings into the park.

The open glass side of the Music House displays the activities carried out inside the building and connects it with the more recent buildings and architecture on the east side of the area. The more sol-id façade on the street side is a perforated copper façade with green patination, seeking contact with the buildings in the Etu-Töölö town block and the flush park areas.

The Parliament House is a significant contributor to the layout of the square. The view down from the stairs of the Music House toward the parks and fur-ther to the Parliament House is open. The inclined deck of the lower building part has been treated like a park envi-ronment, descending toward south and giving space to Kiasma’s independent architecture.

The entrance square at the same level with Mannerheimintie road contin-ues as a pedestrian and bicycle road to Kiasma and as a footpath down to the event square at Töölö Bay level. This citi-zen square has been designed as a venue for outdoor concerts and similar events, with the upper inclined deck, Manner-heimintie road and even the stairs of the Parliament House providing more space for spectators. The productions realised in the Music House or also internation-al music events could in the future be shown on a giant screen erected on the square.

Point-fixed glass wall in the foyer, suspended from glass supports. The concert hall mass is seen behind the foyer, and the administrative facilities are above the foyer.


Client KOY Helsinki Music House

End-usersSibelius Academy / Senate Properties

Helsinki Filharmonia HKOFinnish Radio Symphony Orchestra RSO

Project Management ConsultantISS-Proko Oy

Main/Architectural/Interior designLPR-arkkitehdit Oy

Acoustic designNagata Acoustics Inc.

Insinööritoimisto Akukon Oy

Structural design Insinööritoimisto Mikko Vahanen Oy

Insinööritoimisto Oy Matti Ollila & Co

Site plan

Green mass as a continuation of the park zone


The Client has defined openness as an objective for the Mu-sic House. The aim has been to create an active connection between the House and its environment and to provide an as-sembly place for the audience.

The House wishes to facilitate interaction between music professionals, students and spectators. The lobby part of the building that is connected with the event square is designed as a mainly open space for visitors, with different music events organised in the various parts of the lobby. The foyer areas are during the day utilised as cafeteria and exhibition facilities.

The second entrance to the building at the Töölö Bay level also provides access to the main lobby and further to the foyer. The glass walls of the foyer open up toward the park views, the event square in the south and the downtown parts of the City. The core of the building, a vineyard type concert hall is accessed from the ringed foyer level and the wall between the two parts consists of two sound absorbing glass walls through which the crater like concert hall can be seen from the foyer and lobby areas. The visual connection can be blocked by a curtain lowered into the space between the glass walls. The concert hall seats 1650 spectators, partly on the fairly narrow gallery level.

In addition to the concert hall, there will be five smaller music rooms, each with 150-300 seats. The purpose of use of each room has been taken into account in the design of the acoustic features. This makes it possible to perform different types of music in a central location in downtown Helsinki. The ground level of the building contains the concert hall stage, the re-hearsal rooms and the loading area. Most of the artists’ rooms for both orchestras are also located on this level, round the two atriums. The administrative facilities of the Music House and the orchestras occupy the top part of the tall foyer on the south side.

The classrooms and the offices of the Sibelius Academy are grouped on seven floors round the atrium that looks toward the Karamzin Park. The public music library and the studios of the Academy are located on the two lower floors, near the ground lobby.

The foundation engineering works as well as the construction of the maintenance tunnel under Töölänlahti Street are cur-rently under way on the Music House plot. The costs are still being clarified as the plans progress and develop. The Music House is estimated to be completed in 2010.

East elevation

South elevation

Section

Floor plan, 2nd floor

Floor plan, ground floor


Green façades of pre-patinated copper on the tall building mass

Foyer with beams and columns of steel constructionVineyard type concert hall. 1:10 acoustic scale model

Lobby with the bridge of steel construction in Sibelius Academy

Foyer facilities on the side of ”Citizen Park”



Award-winning, luxurious ”Stella Maris”


Elements of a luxury hotelin an apartment buildingA company called OOO “Settle City” com-missioned Architectural Office Gerasimov and co with S.V. Petrova as the main architect to design the apartment building. The façade of the building consists of four different units connected by bright glass-walled lobbies. The 19-apartment Stella Maris is not far from the centre, on the beautiful Ristisaari Island. The island is in the River Neva Delta, where local people often gather to enjoy their leisure time. It is easy to reach by underground. There are a lot of other highly respectable houses and parks on the island that people go to see and admire for their architecture. Stella Maris has its own granite street lead-ing up to the building. Instead of the ordi-nary, usually boring staircases, the building welcomes those who enter with bright and spacious lobbies. The building also features a beautiful conservatory where the lucky resi-dents can enjoy an ever-lasting summer round the year. In the building there is also a SPA department and a gym, which enables the resi-dents to keep fit without stepping outside. The basement also houses a safe car park, and boat owners can dock right in front of the building. Anything that the residents could possibly de-sire is certain to be available. This type of community could also be called “a big family” as the residents can spend time together on common premises. With shared

facilities it is, of course, extremely important that the residents have similar values and en-joy each other s company. All this has been taken into consideration in the marketing of the apartments, and the buyers are care-fully selected. This guarantees that the luxury homes will hold their value and be attractive to future buyers, too.

The Nordic Green PLUS copper on the roofAs a whole, Stella Maris is the ultimate in class with nothing but the best materials used in construction. The exceptional shape of the roof draws a passer-by s attention, and the four roof arcs can be seen as waves in the sea. The façade of the building has a lot of glass, which means the inside is bathed in light and offers magnificent views of the river. Finnish copper manufactured by Luvata Pori Oy has been used for the roof. The malleable material is easy to shape, so the creation of the curves and bends of the building involved no diffi-culty. The shade of colour used is the patina green Nordic Green PLUS to match the sur-roundings and complement the combination of glass and brown rock. The superb “Stella Maris” won a silver medal in the Rakennus-taide Architectural Competition in 2007. The apartments under the glowing copper roof are certain to live up to the expectations of the most demanding resident.

Award-winning, luxurious ”Stella Maris”

The five-storey “Stella Maris” apartment building is a fine example of mo-

dern architecture and high-class homes in today s St Petersburg. Side by

side with the old and historically valuable buildings there are luxury homes

that represent the latest in modern architecture and feature every concei-

vable service under one roof. Architects have been able to come up with and

implement innovative ideas more or less unheard-of in ordinary building con-

struction. Stella Maris is one of these fascinating buildings, and it was awar-

ded a silver medal in the “Rakennustaide 2007” Architectural Competition.


Architects Heikki and Kaija Siren won the invitational

design competition in 1960 and the Building was com-

pleted in 1968.

The design concept of the building is built on a circle placed at the joint of two rectangular coordinate systems running in different directions. It thus creates a link in the townscape. The base diameter of the building is 76.4 m and the depth of the frame is 17.2 m.

The circular building is an office block with commercial faci-lities on the ground floor. The cubic volume of the building is 125 000 m3.

The building displays some modernistic architectural elements, such as the continuous windows on the façades and the flat roof. Continuous windows dominate the façades in a consist-ent manner. The clean geometric shape of the building, on the other hand, suggests classical architecture, or modernism with classical influences. It could also be said that the building bears resemblance to the 19th century architectural heritage of Hel-sinki. The asymmetrical parts of the building are found in the area of the first two floors.

The building envelope is covered with Tombak (architectural bronze). The information on the companies and organisations that occupy the building is displayed on the façade as part of the architectural appearance of the building, with a carefully

thought-out relationship between the text and the façade. The text type used in the displayed information has also been de-fined, and the density contrast between the information and the background has been optimised. No major deviations from the plans have occurred after the building was first completed.

The building was renovated in 2004. renovations covered a total area of ca. 36 000 m2 and the court-yard was also remodelled. The renovations were designed by architect Jukka Siren, who continues the work of his parents. The objective of the renova-tions and the alterations was to increase light inside the building and to modernise the facilities taking the character of the build-ing into account.

The building has become patinated over time. The circular building is a significant element in the townscape, and the form language and the technical implementation are of a good stand-ard. It is an internationally known object of architecture.

Esko Miettinenarchitect SAFA

Circular buildingHelsinki

Section

Facade

Site plan

View from Hakaniemi square

The building mass

The renewed plans. The drawings are from the year 2004.

Architecture from

Austria • Belgium

Czech Republic • Denmark

Finland • France

Greece • Germany

Holland • Hungary

Italy • Luxemburg

Norway • Poland

Russia • Spain

Sweden • Switzerland

United Kingdom

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