Exterior envelope: From crafted copper to glass and terracotta--the latest leading edge developments in products for cladding and external envelope are expertly surveyed.

500 THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT 

'Structuran' glass ceramic (above and right) is a revolutionary new material with the characters of glass and natural stone, and can be used in a wide range of applications: facade rainscreens, kitchen and bar surfaces, screens, flooring, stairs, memorials, vanity tops and sinks. The material has excellent sustainability credentials being made from 100 per cent recycled glass without the need for resins, sourced from float glass waste and produced in 2.8 x 1.26m sheets of 14-40mm thicknesses. It is cooled with such accuracy that stresses are moved to the panel edge and so it is more like a toughened glass. For the purposes of most facade applications, a 20mm thickness provides the requisite strength and panels of 2 x 1.1m sizes at 100m height are approved within the EU.

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501 KME 

At the University Library in Debrecen, Hungary, a concrete core provides the fixed framework for this unusual architectural work of art. The cladding of the entrance portal, with its intricate design, demanded the best craftsmanship. Creating a spectacular finish TECU[R] Patina pre-patinated copper sheets were used as cladding material; its exceptional malleability was the main prerequisite for the execution of such an intricate surface structure.

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502 OKALUX

Designed by architect Sergei Tchoban, these glass facades are printed with ornaments and relief motifs from the turn of the last century. In warm sepia colour tones, the non-transparent glass elements between the windows, which are up to 4m high, have amphora, column and garland motifs which blend with more tranquil rustic plaster and cornice elements to form a harmonious overall composition. The glazing was coated using the OKACOLOR technology from OKALUX.

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503 PERMASTEELISA

Luxgard 62 by Permasteelisa was used by I. M. Pei for three stunning glass canopies as part of Luxembourg's new art venue Mudam. The principal glass skylight reaches its highest point with a 'spire' that echoes the steeples that are characteristic of the city's old town skyline. To the west, a curved roof shelters the museum's cafeteria, and to the east an orthogonal roof covers the sculpture garden.

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504 NBK 

Terracotta elements, manufactured by NBK Keramik, have been used at this new community centre in the Baden-Wurttemberg village of Zimmern, designed by architectural firm Ecker (Buchen). Used to clad areas of the facade that conceal the functional areas beyond, the terracotta is of a light natural colour to complement the hue of the internal ceiling.

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Enquiry 504 www.arplus.com/enq.html