N26 – Daylighting design made from thin glass

Abstract

For an existing building from 19th century an architectural concept for revivalism and reorganization into a modern office building was made. For this purpose, a daylight system was implemented that roofs the inner courtyard and at the same time makes it the central place of representation and communication. In addition to the spatial function, the inner courtyard serves as a thermal buffer room and additional value can be achieved by using thin glass and its material properties. The free‐form geometry benefits from the increased stiffness due to the curved shape, which is regulated by the radii of curvature depending on the material thickness. The curvature has a direct influence on the reflection behaviour, which influences the light transport of natural light into the interior of the room and thus enables a reduction in electrical lighting for the office space.