Voltair

Glass boxes with a double facade characterize the seven-story building near Alexanderplatz in Berlin. The building houses F&B and retail spaces on the ground floor and offices on the upper floors.

The design was the result of a competition which JMayerH won jointly with Knippers Helbig.

The building envelope consists of smooth, rear ventilated glass boxes spanning two floors which project out of the facade, with an intermediary floor which slices through the building at mid-height. Like the main entrances, it is also recessed. With its raised cover plates and cornice profiles, it exhibits a highly textured surface.

The two-story design of the boxes allows the rear ventilation of the double facade to span two floors as well, resulting in an unbroken, glassy look and feel.

The external glass sheets are borne by frames that are factory-glued at the rear, and the necessary mechanical supports are concealed.