Christian Pohl GmbH

Robert-Bosch-Str. 6, 50769 Köln, Tel.: +49 221 70911-0, Fax: +49 221 70891-23, info@pohlnet.com, www.pohl-facades.com

AMORPHOUS ALUMINUM SKIRTUnique facade solution for the Anenhütte

Object: Anenhütte, Blatten, SwitzerlandArchitect: Peter TscherrigFacade system: AFS® (Aluminum Foam Sandwich) MDT-S4 (Metalfoam Design Tiles) Material: Aluminum

Amorphous aluminum skirt: Unique facade solution for the Anenhütte

As an exclusive mountain hut in the Swiss Alps, the Anenhütte stands proudly in the middle of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site boasting a unique panorama up to the massif of Mont Blanc. The popular hiking destination is now adorned with a new look that could not possibly be more exclusive. As the world‘s only manufacturer of a one-component aluminum sandwich system, pohltec metalfoam GmbH fabricated specially foamed aluminum tiles for the hut. At a height of 2,358 meters, the world-famous facade specialist Christian Pohl mounted the individual solution. The shape of the fascinating facade structure fits perfectly into the natural landscape of the breathtaking mountain and glacier formation.

Metalfoam despite extrem weather

In the world of the High Alps, glaciers act as parabolic mirrors and other laws prevail: adamant UV radiation is the usual agenda and gale-force winds with speeds of over 250 kilometers per hour are not seldom. Within just one hour, temperature fluctuations of -10 to +80°C are possible. On top of that, the structures there have to contend with unusual compressive loads: during winter snowstorms amounting to as much as eight meters can accumulate. All conventional building materials meet their limits under these conditions. The original wooden building was not able to withstand avalanches and the facade of the later new reinforced concrete structure was completely destroyed in a period of three years due to the immense thermal and mechanical loads. Demanded now was an extremely weather-resistant building envelope that is able to put up a fight. The company metalfoam responded with this requirement with a facade tile that was newly developed for this application: AFS® (Aluminum Foam Sandwich) MDT-S4 (Metalfoam Design Tiles). These aluminum sandwich tiles with aluminum foam cores are a fusion combining functionality and contemporary industrial design where the technology adapted to the icy temperatures meets sensational appearance. These tiles, created by hand specifically for the Anenhütte are convincing; they additionally insulate, are compact and have low thermal conductivity. Base structures specially laid out for this construction – also from the company POHL – compensate the lengths such as thermal expansion and use thermostops to decouple the facade from the rest of the structure. The sophisticated concept prevailed against the initially envisaged all-aluminum cast plates since they would have been both more expensive and simultaneously significantly heavier. The special challenge of this exclusive construction project lay in the record setting installation and transport - in the true sense of the word: Since onsite processing was not possible under the weather conditions,

Christian Pohl GmbH

Robert-Bosch-Str. 6, 50769 Köln, Tel.: +49 221 70911-0, Fax: +49 221 70891-23, info@pohlnet.com, www.pohl-facades.com

every screw and every movement had to be planned ahead of time in the factory before the finished material, which had to be provided at the point of departure with minute-by-minute precision, could climb into the heights of the Alps via helicopter. That turned the extremely small weight of the material into a decisive argument. Stable and lightweight, functional and unique - that’s what proved to be the ideal solution for the new enclosure of the Anenhütte.

Innovative manual labor

AFS® MDT-S4 is composed of a foamed aluminum core and two aluminum surface layers that are closed off to the outside. The components are metallically connected with each other, so this is pure aluminum that manages without gluing or the addition of other component parts. The pioneering product is manufactured by first shaping the three-layer primary material and subsequently foaming it's middle layer. During this process, the non-flammable material is heated up to 600°C. Along with the enormous temperature resistance, AFS® MDT-S4 elements impress with their extraordinary ruggedness, a minimal weight and a random and simultaneously appearance that has a strong character. The special feature the finish: every tile is later shaped by hand. This thermal processing creates, triggered by the gas pressure of the burner, crater-shaped contours on the surface which makes every AFS® MDT-S4 tile unique and an absolute eye-catcher.

Symbiosis with a world heritage site

Nature heritage sites testify to the wealth and versatility of our earth. In the sense of UNESCO, these ecologically highly-sensitive objects must be protected or preserved and at the same time a conscious behavior when dealing with the environment should be ensured. The Anenhütte is just such an interface between humans and nature, which is why criteria such as energy efficiency are so decisive. So such a substance, along with the indispensable ruggedness and stability of the material, must not only harmonize with the climate but must also be environmentally friendly. And the AFS® MDT-S4 elements score in these points too. Finally, the tiles are made solely of aluminum so they are completely recyclable. While transporting the durable light metal, the greatest importance was placed on wood or cardboard packaging, which can also be recycled. That means solutions from the house of POHL make a substantial contribution to preserving the environment with the consequence that the structure does not interfere with the natural landscape of the largest contiguous glaciated region in Eurasia. With its new metalfoam facade, the Anenhütte is setting new standards as a high-tech structure that is perfectly integrated into the idyllic Alps while at the same time is convincing with regard to sustainability.

Christian Pohl GmbH

Robert-Bosch-Str. 6, 50769 Köln, Tel.: +49 221 70911-0, Fax: +49 221 708 91-23, info@pohlnet.com, www.pohl-facades.com