Edition 5/2011

  • BATIMAT review
  • New METALS line
  • Hospital in Bergamo

Official unveiling of EcoClean™

In the six days from 7 to 12 November, more than 351,000 visitors with an interest in architecture and the building industry streamed through the BATIMAT exhibition centre. On this occasion too, the exhibition focused particularly on energy-efficient approaches to building and living. Among the 813 new products on show, Alcoa Architectural Products attracted great attention from visitors and representatives of the press alike, in particular due to its Reynobond®|Reynolux®with EcoClean™. An animated film and samples with and without the EcoClean™ self- and air-cleaning coating helped to illustrate the latter’s special properties. In specialist discussions, members of staff from the cladding manufacturer explained the way the panel worked and the versatility of its potential for many applications.

“In spite of the fact that overall there has been a drop in visitor numbers to BATIMAT, we made a very good impact”, says Guy Scheidecker, Marketing and Distribution Manager for Alcoa Architectural Products in Merxheim. “The important thing for us was that architects, engineers and façade constructors could get a first idea of our cladding panel with its EcoClean™ coating there and then on the spot.”

Alongside Reynobond®|Reynolux®with EcoClean™, there were other new products on show – including the new METALS line, consisting of real metals such as zinc, stainless steel, copper or aluminium, and the extended façade configurator in the shape of ColorLab. From December the latter will also be available as an App for iPhone or iPad. The current display view was already on show at the exhibition.

With 2,300 exhibitors, 46 per cent of which are from other countries, BATIMAT in Paris remains one of the largest specialist building exhibitions in the world for building-related machinery, products and services.

Impressive façades made out of real metal

Reynobond® Zinc (see Newsletter 3) is one of a total of eleven new composite panels from the METALS line from Reynobond® Architecture. The panels are made of real metals, such as stainless steel, copper, zinc or aluminium, but are lighter, more resistant and easier to work with than a full metal panel. The wide range of technical fixing options allows façade designs with various shapes and effects to be created. Reynobond® METALS allows you to create curves, angles and other design elements that cannot be achieved with heavy materials.

The natural effects of stainless steel or pre-weathered zinc can be seen in the surfaces of Natural Metals. Here, the fire resistant core is coated on both sides with real zinc, copper, aluminium or stainless steel. The stainless steel surfaces are available in both a smooth and brushed finish. Reynobond® Zinc is available in pre-weathered QUARTZ-ZINC® and ANTHRA-ZINC®. And a special feature: The zinc composite panels can be supplied on request with QUARTZ-ZINC® on the front and ANTHRA-ZINC® on the back.

High-tech hospital offers comfort and safety

The hew hospital in Bergamo is more than just somewhere you can get medical treatment and care. It combines diagnosis and therapy with ongoing development in health care, research and training. Fitted out with the latest equipment and based on new organisational models to reduce excessive administration, with its high levels of comfort the new hospital is designed to fully meet the needs and requirements of the patients.

The architecture of the new hospital is by Aymeric Zublema from Paris. The aim was to design the building to be light and transparent, thereby linking it with its surroundings. The materials and colours chosen are intended to help patients and visitors feel at home. At the same time, they meet the high requirements imposed on safety and ease of maintenance. Both the roofs and the side walls are clad with bright low-maintenance Reynobond® aluminium composite panels. These give the building a definite vibrancy which radiates quality.

Large glazed surfaces on the long sides give a sense of openness both within and without and afford a view of the surrounding verdure of the countryside. Blinds integrated in the double glazing and metal struts on the outer wall allow sensitive control of incident light. The individual buildings have been laid out in a way that ensures easy access to all units of the hospital. Their layout is based on the principle of stage-by-stage treatment and care, starting at A&E and progressing through the inpatient wards to eventual discharge and post-hospital care.

The centre is structured in the form of a courtyard around which all services such as A&E reception, operating theatres, intensive care units and laboratories are located. This means that a high degree of interaction is possible. Surrounding the courtyard are five seven-storey towers which accommodate 36 operating theatres, 226 treatment rooms and 1,200 beds.

The official opening of the new hospital, which is dedicated to Pope John XXII, is due early next year.