Schüco System Expertise for Expo 2015

Further information about publication: Press release Schüco International KG Ulrike Krüger Karolinenstr. 1–15 14.04.2015 33609 Bielefeld, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)521 783-803 Fax: +49 (0)521 783-950803 E-mail: [email protected] www.schueco.de/presse www.schueco.de/press

World exposition in Milan Schüco system expertise for Expo 2015

The Palazzo Italia, the Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates, the Expo Gate and the Russian Pavilion: to date Schüco has contributed to a total of ten projects at the world exposition with the theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” through its innovations, expertise and technical know-how. These future-oriented, energy-efficient and sustainable buildings explicitly embody the successful symbiosis between expertise and creativity, resulting in intelligent and high-performance building envelopes and fulfilling the most farsighted project requirements.

The dynamic, transparent and architectural concepts which characterise these buildings of the latest generation are expected to astound visitors to Expo 2015 and fully meet the current criteria for sustainability, energy savings and room comfort. Schüco Italia has also contributed with its sophisticated services for engineering, project consultancy, technical service and customer-specific product design. In this way, creations came into being which not only correspond fully to the original design drawings in terms of appearance but also in terms of performance.

Here are all the projects involving Schüco at the world exposition:

Palazzo Italia: the Italian tricolour on the building of excellence As the symbolic heart of Expo 2015, a reflection of Italian ingenuity and the gateway for the over 7 million expected guests, Palazzo Italia is an impressive example of landscape architecture, which Nemesi & Partners designed to represent the community surrounding their piazza, here in the unfamiliar form of an urban wood. The volumetric division of the pavilion is based on four principal sections connected to one another by bridge elements. Viewed from the inside, the four sections exhibit massive floor supports which open upwards like large roots, and slender branches which form a majestic glass treetop canopy.

Transparency and technology define the sustainable architecture which, like a building, has been designed to almost passive house-level. The Schüco FW 50+ façade systems were chosen to ensure a high and constant thermal output. Due to the considerable dimensions of the mirror surfaces and the existing slanting bars, the systems were designed in the laboratories of Schüco Italy as highly customer-specific versions. And they were constructed by Gualini Spa from Costa di Mezzate (Bergamo). The Schüco ADS HD (Heavy Duty) door systems made from aluminium complement the building envelope. They enable large opening widths and certified stability even when used intensively.

The FIAT New Holland Pavilion and all-encompassing sustainability The international team comprising Recchi Engineering (parent company), Carlo Ratti Associati (design), Nüssli, Manens-Tifs, M. Durbano and Sintecna are responsible for the “Earthscreening” project, which should attest to the endeavours of FIAT New Holland to promote efficient and sustainable farming. The pavilion consists of three continuous glass façades on which decoratively attached modules, glass louvre blades and enamelled metal inserts depict the company logo. It is characterised by the pitched roof that has been designed like a large field, on which two tractor robots work the soil untiringly depending on the system of cultivation. The large façades of the building envelopes fully meet the performance requirements

2/9 in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency. They were created by Sacim (Teramo) using the Schüco FW 50+ aluminium system.

The Kuwait Pavilion: dynamic transparencies The concept of the pavilion is evocative of the sails of a traditional Kuwaiti ship and illustrates the endeavours of the country to transform the desert into a fertile and habitable landscape through the medium of technology, science and education. The international supplier Nussli Italia was commissioned for the concept, which was designed to meet the sustainability requirements of the pavilion by means of active and passive measures. They drew upon the work of Studio Italo Rota for the building project and Studio Progetto CMR of Massimo Roj for planning the construction of the façades, systems and structures. The Schüco AOC 50 SG (Structural Glazing) steel add-on construction was chosen to meet the special requirements for transparency, light and lightness which characterise the building envelope that consists of large mirror surfaces. Its support profiles are only visible from the inside and allow, in addition to a uniform façade architecture, a high load- bearing capacity and good thermal insulation values. Finally, the Schüco ADS 65 aluminium door systems and the Schüco AWS 102 parallel-opening window systems integrated in the Schüco FW 50+ façade system also play a crucial role in the positive energy balance of the building. All Schüco solutions designed were fabricated and installed by ISA Spa from Calcinelli (Pesaro-Urbino).

The Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates and the environmental challenges Numerous factors have influenced the criteria for the design of the pavilion of the United Arab Emirates. On the one hand, the dimensions of the land which are stretched, above all, longitudinally moved the architect Norman Foster to create an architectural concept that resembles a canyon, in which the 12- metre-high walls that undulate like sand dunes invite visitors to enter a comparatively narrow and long area. On the other hand,

3/9 the desire for LEED Platinum certification suggested the use of highly sophisticated, energy-efficient and sustainable technologies. However, the greatest architectural challenge here was to design a building envelope that could adapt to two fundamentally different climates: the damp, fresh climate of Milan and the hot sunny Emirates. With its experience and technical expertise, Schüco Italia solved the problem by utilising the Schüco FW 50+ mullion/transom façade system, using which Metal-Ser (Bergamo) produced and installed the façade. Thanks to the high-quality components of the attachment system and its extremely precise fabrication, the Schüco FW50+ façade systems are not exposed to deformation or environmental effects.

The Vietnam Pavilion as the embodiment of creative freedom The lotus flower, a symbol of purity and optimism, is Vietnam’s national flower and the main inspiration behind the country’s contribution to Expo 2015. The Vietnamese exhibition area commissioned by Proger Italia (main contractor) and designed by architect Vo Trong Nghia will show the international community the country’s commitment to active environmental and in particular water protection measures. It consists of an expanse of water adorned with huge lotus flowers made of bamboo – the material par excellence which is native to Vietnam. In this case too, façades were assembled and installed by Lamaciste (Perugia) to incorporate the building envelope and floral designs harmoniously. They made use of the Schüco FW 50+ aluminium mullion/transom system to combine diverse design options with the highest level of thermal insulation and room comfort.

The Moldovan Pavilion – where light sets the tone The sources of inspiration for the Moldovan Pavilion, which is perfectly aligned with the main subject of the world exposition, were freshness, taste and naturalness. The building concept designed by Gorgona Architecture & Design and created by Petas (Verona) is redolent of a peeled apple, which is represented by a metal-glass structure surrounded by angular

4/9 wooden beams painted green. The creation is complemented by a large flower on the pavilion, which has reflective surfaces that reflect beams of light and transform them into thousands of small points of light. As a primary and irreplaceable source of life and energy, light is the protagonist of the facility. A fully translucent building envelope created by Tecnofil (Viterbo) using the Schüco FW 50+ and FW 50 SG (Structural Glazing) aluminium façade systems ensures a harmonious balance between internal and external light in accordance with impeccable logic aligned to energy saving requirements.

The USA Pavilion and the transparent technologies for Food 2.0 A future-orientated project which pays homage to the country’s farming traditions. Under the motto of “American Food 2.0: United to Feed the Planet”, the United States is satisfying the requirement of Expo 2015 in the form of an innovative pavilion, which is oriented towards daily food production throughout the event. The building designed by James Biber was interpreted as an open and permeable structure confined by a large vertical area of land, the crop of which is harvested daily during the entire world exposition. On the shorter side, a long landing stage produced with the wooden beams of the beach promenade from Coney Island should guide the visitors into the interactive exhibition areas, onto the panoramic terrace and into the individual shops. The fully sustainable pavilion demands an uninterrupted dialogue between nature and science, which are not seen as irreconcilable opposites, but as components of a single united system. The transparent technological solutions which clad the building envelope were designed and completed by Lanaro (Vicenza) with the Schüco FW 75 AOC façade systems for add- on constructions on steel. A perfect transition from the inside to the outside is produced by the uniform façade appearance. This also promotes the close relationship between the architecture and the environment envisaged in the design.

The Russian Pavilion and the alliance formed between dynamism and lightness

5/9 Russia is the country of endless expanses, large distances and forests. The countryside and the tradition of wooden architecture form the core of the concept of the Russian Pavilion. It was developed as an embodiment of the street and its endless course by architects Sergei Tchoban, Alexei Ilin and Marina Kuznetskaya of the Speech architectural office. The large wooden façade protecting the building from the sun and offering external shelter has a roof terrace which slopes slightly upwards over the main entrance. This results in an approximately 30-metre-long, narrow canopy in front of the entrance. As well as “green” technical solutions, dynamic and daring architectural elements reinforce the close relationship that the building has established with the natural environment. This also accentuates the definition of the volume and the geometries by means of light. The large, transparent glass surfaces were created using the Schüco FW 50 AOC façade systems for add-on constructions on steel by SECH Costruzioni Metalliche (Treviso). They allow the internal areas to be defined by natural sources of light, thus avoiding artificial light and increasing the level of comfort for visitors.

Continuity between the inside and outside of service buildings The service facilities required by visitors and staff – including restaurants, shops as well as guest and security services – run to 14 buildings which represent the finishing touches to Expo 2015 and create a comfortable, user-friendly exhibition atmosphere. The architecture based on paddy fields and designed by Onesite Studio stands out through the use of water and wood, which accentuate the principle of the event: proximity to nature. As well as the wall with the water mist, the special feature of these creations is that they do not appear to have façades but rather shadows. The system of horizontal surfaces borne by an entanglement of mullions produces an area whose purpose is to extend shade and protection to the surrounding external areas and to shield internal areas from the sun. However, the envelope for the sales and service area is a transparent, light layer created using the Schüco FW 50+ aluminium façade systems and the Schüco ADS 65 aluminium

6/9 door systems. These were assembled and installed by Ferrari Gianantonio (Verona).

Expo Gate: the Info Point that leads to the beating heart of the world exposition Directly in front of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan city centre, Expo Gate moves to the rhythm of the passing days, which, prior to the opening event, are in short number, and provides an opportunity to discuss growth and development. Scandurra Studio is responsible for the creation, which is a central square and two lightweight glass pavilions consisting of a truncated cone constructed by Stahlbau Pichler in accordance with the principles of transparency and modularity. To guarantee a design that is faithful to the original project without compromising the thermal insulation, the Schüco FW 50 AOC SG (structural glazing) façade systems were used, whose high load-bearing support profiles, which are only visible from the inside, ensure a uniform, transparent design.

Schüco – System solutions for windows, doors and façades Together with its worldwide network of partners, architects, specifiers and investors, Schüco creates sustainable building envelopes that focus on people and their needs in harmony with nature and technology. Windows, doors and façade solutions from Schüco meet the highest requirements in terms of design, comfort and security, whilst simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions through energy efficiency, thereby conserving natural resources. The company and its Metal and PVC-U divisions deliver tailored products for newbuilds and renovations, designed to meet individual user needs in all climate zones. Everyone involved is supported with a comprehensive range of services at every stage of the construction process. With 4800 employees and 12,000 partner companies, Schüco is active in more than 80 countries and achieved a turnover of 1.5 billion euros in 2013. For more information, visit www.schueco.com

7/9 Picture credits: Memesi & Partners

Palazzo Italia

Picture credits: Nüssli Group

Kuweit Pavillon

Picture credits: Nüssli Group

USA Pavillon

8/9 Picture credits: Onsidestudio

Service Buildings

Picture credits: Scandurra Studio Architettura

Expo Gate

High-resolution pictures are available to download in the Schüco Newsroom at www.schueco.de/press