Sauerbruch Hutton want to draw your attention to a planned, significant — and absolutely not desired — change to the façade of the former GSW Headquarters in Berlin.
The owners of the building (Amazon, Rocket Internet, etc) are planning to replace the sun protection system on the west side of the tower. The convection façade will change in both its materiality and its function, as well as its characteristic color scheme (see proposals attached).
The functioning of the panels such as the color scheme of the former GSW headquarters by Sauerbruch Hutton are an integral part of the architecture that is built according to the climate. The current panels are made of perforated aluminum and coated in 9 colors that will be dismantled and replaced with roll-up fabrics in colors limited to a specific supplier's card.
Against the disfigurement of the former GSW headquarters
The owners of the building (Amazon, Rocket Internet, etc) are planning to replace the sun protection system on the west side of the tower. The convection façade will change in both its materiality and its function, as well as its characteristic color scheme (see proposals attached).
The functioning of the panels such as the color scheme of the former GSW headquarters by Sauerbruch Hutton are an integral part of the architecture that is built according to the climate. The current panels are made of perforated aluminum and coated in 9 colors that will be dismantled and replaced with roll-up fabrics in colors limited to a specific supplier's card.
Against the disfigurement of the former GSW headquarters
The former GSW headquarters building, designed by Sauerbruch Hutton, is held in high esteem nationally and internationally as an architectural icon of the post-reunification period and as a pioneering building in climate-friendly construction. With its presence and colorfulness, it defines Berlin's urban space and contributes significantly to the identity of the city and its people. The building has also received worldwide recognition through numerous national and international awards, such as the Berlin Architecture Prize, the Building Physics Prize, and the Benedictus Prize. It was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award and the Stirling Prize. The model of the building was included in MoMA's Architecture Collection.
Currently, Sienna Real Estate Property Management, on behalf of the owners, plans to replace the solar shading system on the west side of the tower. The rotating and sliding panels of the floor sunshades, made of perforated aluminum sheets coated in 9 special colors, will be removed and replaced with fabric hangings that can only be rolled up and repositioned vertically. These fabric hangings are to be executed in colors that are limited to the color chart of a specific supplier and completely deviate from the previous color scheme of the façade.
Both the color scheme and the functioning of the solar shading panels are an integral part of the architecture of the house, which is designed entirely in response to the climate (wind, convection, cross ventilation, the position of the sun). The planned replacement with a banal universal product denigrates the design logic and disfigures the existing work, not to mention the high cost and comparatively high amount of CO2 that would be emitted by such a measure and the consequent waste of resources.
With an open letter and online petition, Sienna Real Estate is asked to abandon these plans, repair the facade instead and preserve it in its color scheme, thus sending a contemporary signal of waste avoidance and resource conservation, but also of appreciation for our built environment.
Currently, Sienna Real Estate Property Management, on behalf of the owners, plans to replace the solar shading system on the west side of the tower. The rotating and sliding panels of the floor sunshades, made of perforated aluminum sheets coated in 9 special colors, will be removed and replaced with fabric hangings that can only be rolled up and repositioned vertically. These fabric hangings are to be executed in colors that are limited to the color chart of a specific supplier and completely deviate from the previous color scheme of the façade.
Both the color scheme and the functioning of the solar shading panels are an integral part of the architecture of the house, which is designed entirely in response to the climate (wind, convection, cross ventilation, the position of the sun). The planned replacement with a banal universal product denigrates the design logic and disfigures the existing work, not to mention the high cost and comparatively high amount of CO2 that would be emitted by such a measure and the consequent waste of resources.
With an open letter and online petition, Sienna Real Estate is asked to abandon these plans, repair the facade instead and preserve it in its color scheme, thus sending a contemporary signal of waste avoidance and resource conservation, but also of appreciation for our built environment.
