Project of the month

Görres-Gymnasium, Koblenz

Energy-efficient refurbishment: traditional grammar school gets a new façade

The Görres-Gymnasium in Koblenz is the oldest grammar school in the city: its history dates back to the 16th century. Originally founded as a Jesuit school, the school, which now specialises in classical languages and humanities, is attended by around 580 pupils. A large part of the school building still in use today was built in 1894 and is now a listed building. Several extensions to the main building and finally a new building erected in the 1970s provided sufficient space for the increasing number of pupils.

The school extension, built in 1974, was constructed as a reinforced concrete skeleton structure with an uninsulated concrete curtain wall. After several decades of use, the building was in need of refurbishment and was also to be brought up to current energy standards. The outer shell was finally refurbished in three staggered construction phases.

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Three requirements – one solution

The commissioned architectural firm Ternes Architekten from Koblenz had to liaise closely with authorities and users during the planning process in order to find a joint solution. The parties involved paid particular attention to the aspects of design, sustainability and freedom from maintenance.

A calm, organised aesthetic was to be discreetly adapted to the existing monumental substance. This design requirement was achieved with the FC façade system from Kalzip. Adapted to the dimensions of the project, the smooth panels could be aligned with the horizontal structure of the façade using existing window strips. The curtain wall provides a calm, structured appearance and in the colour bronze B40 it also blends in with the surroundings.

Sustainable and low-maintenance

Consisting of aluminium with a recycled content of up to 98 percent, the FC façade is particularly sustainable. The structure is designed in such a way that the components can be dismantled by type and returned to the recycling cycle. As a ventilated curtain wall façade, the system also allows the use of an insulating layer, which significantly improves the building’s energy balance. Thermal bridges are minimised with L-shaped wall brackets and a thermostop. The externally visible panels are anchored to the L wall brackets using grid click rails. The robust material is resistant to ball impacts, easy to clean and individual panels can be replaced if damaged.

The FC system meets all the requirements for use in the school refurbishment, as Jens Ternes, Managing Director of TERNES architekten BDA, confirms: ‘The energy-efficient façade refurbishment of the 1970s building in dialogue with the existing listed building of the old school was a major challenge. With the Kalzip FC system in a matt look and the colour bronze B40, we found the optimal solution for a successful building transformation in coordination with the listed building conservation authorities while retaining the linear appearance.’