Onassis Foundation financed the construction of the “Onassis House of Arts and Letters” building. ALUMIL worked closely with Monotherm SA (the aluminium fabricator) and TENSOR Constructions in order to develop and certify a globally unique system. According to the Foundation “The building is destined to be a model of contemporary architecture. Its simplicity of volume and plainness of form have a powerfully monumental character. At the same time, the outside of the building lends it an expression of mystery, like changing scenery. By day, the white horizontal strips of marble on the facades reflect the light of Attica, producing a wave-like impression. The opposite happens at night, when the white marble strips are illuminated in a different way and the inside of the building becomes visible, revealing the shell surrounding the large performance halls”.
Worldwide Pioneer solution for opening sash weighing more than 260 kg
The shell's architectural requirements resulted in a curtain wall system of highly specialized specifications with basic characteristics:
• Structural internal appearance, meaning a not obvious skeleton from the building's interior • Window dimensions 1,5 m width x 2,5 m height • Hidden mechanisms • Sound insulation requirements of 43 dB • U-value of 2 W/m2K
The above-mentioned requirements resulted in a 260 kg per sash weight of the opening frames, meaning increased static characteristics. ALUMIL proceeded in designing an innovative system which was certified by IFT Rosenheim for water and wind impermeability as well as for resistance under pressure. This system was categorized in the higher grades. In addition, the U value is 1,83W/m2K, which is 10% higher than specifications. Finally, as far as sound insulation is concerned, measurements made on site, resulted in a higher than 48 dB system capability.
