The Illa de la Llum building in Barce-
lona is a project consisting of apart-
ments on the corner of Avenida Faria
and Selva de Mar, as part of the Dia-
gonal Mar development. The archi-
tects Lluís Clotet and Ignacio Paricio
have designed an island with three
buildings of 26, 18 and 5 floors res-
pectively. The extremely precise de-
sign, with little room for manoeuvre,
conforms to a highly controversial
model that ignores the continuity of
the streets. They have also included
spaces that open out onto the Medi-
terranean Sea, providing natural light
and extensive sea views. The proposal
clearly rejects the compositional ob-
session with slim forms and the buil-
dings make full use of the land availa-
ble, favouring versatility. The excessive
construction that would result from
three equal towers is reduced and
adapted through intentional earthworks
in the area facing away from the sea
or at the points where the towers are
closest. Here, and around each stair
and lift nucleus, a series of strips have
been placed that cover the access
corridor to the apartments, the pillars
and the installations and separate the
living space from the 3 m cantilevered
continuous terrace. One of the main
elements of these apartments is the
aluminium sliding blinds in the gene-
rous intermediate space between the
interior and the exterior. This apartment
building, the tallest in Barcelona, uses
Technal carpentry. For the exterior
façade, 1.250 m2 of MC Plus traditio-
nal grid series curtain walling was
used, while the balconies and fixed
modules employed anodised Saphir
FX in silver matt. And all this in the
safe knowledge that aluminium can
easily withstand a wind pressure of
300 kg/m2.
Apartment building in Diagonal Mar
Perfi l32 A p r i l
2 0 0 5
T E C H N A L B U I L D I N G N O T E S
Construction: “Illa de la Llum” apartment building
in Barcelona.
Architects: Lluis Clotet and Ignacio Paricio
Arquitectos.
Developer: Espais & Landscape Diagonal Mar S.L.
Aluminium carpentry: Technal.
Manufacturer: Metalistería Pla. Tel. 93 729 03 01.
Solutions used: Saphir FX balcony windows and
MC Plus traditional grid curtain walling.
Verticalsection FXoutward-openingbalcony window
General view of the three buildings that form the Illa de la Llum complex
Saphir FK balcony windows installed in the facades
1
2
3
4
1. Location of roller blind.2. Sub-frame system.3. FX balcony window, outward opening.4. Cladding with aluminium sheet and insulating panel.
The shopping area Puerta Cinegia,
in the plaza España in Zaragoza, the
historic and logistical centre of the
city, is destined to become a land-
mark for the commercial sector. The
architects Olano y Mendo and Aznar
Salvatel la have bui l t a ground-
breaking space which blends in with
the classical and elegant style of the
surroundings and opens the old
streets of the Tubo district out onto
the lively Paseo Independencia. The
area is enclosed by the conserved
walls of the older buildings and the
partition walls of the remaining blocks.
The main idea was to form a shopping
and leisure complex in a single cons-
truction while maintaining for the fu-
ture the traditional-style shops asso-
ciated with the streets in the district.
To avoid disrupting the architectural
style of the area, stone is used as the
basic material, thereby facilitating the
building’s natural integration into the
setting, while enabling proportions
and volumes to be fine-tuned. Indeed,
the building’s southern façade uses
a double-skin wall system in which
the outer layer of stone acts as pro-
tection from the sun by reducing the
hours of sunlight received by the se-
cond layer through the a pattern of
openings. The heat gain is therefore
reduced in comparison to a large
glazed surface with no such system.
In the same way, the natural harmony
of the old buildings has not been
affected by differences in the façades
facing onto the street. Of particular
note here are the small balconies and
light eaves which conserve the street
atmosphere, a fundamental aspect
in preserving the overall atmosphere
of the area. One of the façade systems
used, in the central patio of the office
area, is the Mecano curtain wall. Fur-
thermore, Epure, Unicity and Topaz
windows and Saphir sliding windows
have been installed, both with and
without a thermal bridge, while cons-
tantly working with the interplay bet-
ween the granulated brown and silver
matt.
Puerta Cinegia building in Zaragoza
The pattern of openings and the double skin determine the formal composition of the south façade
Construction: Puerta Cinegia en la Plaza España
in Zaragoza.
Architects: Olano y Mendo, arquitectos, S.L.;
Aznar Salvatella, S.L.
Master builder: Enrique Martínez.
Developer: Puerta Cinegia S.A.
Construction company: Ordisa.
Quality control: Guillermo Montaner.
Aluminium carpentry: Technal.
Manufacturer: Ceime, S.L. (Red Aluminier Technal).
Tel. 976 46 41 10.
Solutions used: Unicity, Epure and Topaz windows,
Saphir sliding windows, Mecano curtain wall.
DETAIL OF THE SOUTH FAÇADE
As part of Construmat 2005, the 3rd edition of Casa Barcelona is being held, a project whose aim is to promote collaboration
between architects and companies working with more innovative materials, in order to create new construction techniques that
enable contemporary homes to adapt better to the demands of modern life. Technal is participating in two projects in which the
architects Ignacio Paricio, Carlos Ferrater and Felipe Pich Aguilera capture the concepts of flexibility, mutability, energy efficiency
and sustainability, in accordance with the initiative’s guiding principles.
The perfectible façade
Developed by Technal from an idea by Ignacio Paricio and Carlos Ferrater, this system may have even more possibilities than
originally planned. It involves an aluminium sub-frame designed for light façade enclosures on residential buildings. The basic idea
consists of a self-bearing structuring which allows the space between floors to be divided into vertical and horizontal partitions and
thus house any type of transparent or opaque partition, such as windows, wooden panels, aluminium, natural stone, heat or sound
insulation elements and sun protection systems. This all goes to create a façade with superimposed layers that may be added at
any time, and which is therefore, by definition, perfectible. Elements which have become out-dated over time can be resolved by
the addition of a new skin, without requiring the demolition of the previous one. The sub-frame is made of aluminium beams, which
are assembled mechanically (no welding required) and reinforced with steel flats where necessary. The choice of this material over
steel offers considerable advantages: a rapid joint system which is compatible with aluminium carpentry; greater rust protection;
the possibility of incorporating a break in the thermal bridge; a wide variety of forms that are relatively inexpensive to produce; a
more precise conservation of the geometry; and more competitive handling costs. Yet the advantages may seem even more
significant when one considers the opportunities the system provides to housing developers. The façade wall is dry laid and the
weight and thicknesses are reduced, leading to savings in concrete load-bearing structures and a greater surface area for sale.
Furthermore, a single company can install all the elements in the façade.
The Green Façade
Together with the company Intemper, Technal is developing this modern concept by the architect Felipe Pich Aguilera, which involves
incorporating a vegetable element into the wall itself, acting as thermal insulation. The wall acts as an extra flat greenhouse with
three layers of plants in the space between the interior and the exterior, which may be slid open to adapt their response to the
exterior climatic conditions. The interior layer provides the functional aspect of the structure, by means of an aluminium mesh
which houses the pots containing soil and seeds. The controlled climate and humidity of the chamber stimulate plant growth and
flowering. The middle layer provides an element of thermal inertia and solar control. Storing water in the base induces the growth
of climbing plants, which are distri-
buted all over the surface. This
combined system is ideal for the
Mediterranean climate, where cooling
and water management are often
fundamental aspects in the design of
homes. This living envelope provides
the building with a natural presence
and its mutating rhythms, depending
on the seasons of the year, convert
the building into a part of the earth.
Ceime of theRed AluminierTechnal
Founded in 1976 by Juan José Hidalgo
and Franciso Javier López, this Zaragoza
company manufactures and assembles
aluminium, iron and stainless steel car-
pentry throughout Spain. The company
generally works on detached houses,
offices and institutional buildings, where
all kinds of enclosures are constructed,
from windows to light facades, using
mainly Technal-brand carpentry. “Being
part of the Red Aluminier -explains Juan
José Hidalgo- has, for us, been a signi-
ficant step forward as it has given us the
support of a highly qualified team of
professional to provide technical asses-
sment, without forgetting the confidence
and quality provided by the Technal
brand”.
Their facilities cover an area of 1.500 m2,
of which 1.100 m2 is workshop space,
while the rest is being prepared as a
permanent exhibition area. The alumi-
nium workshop is fitted with a twin-
headed cut-off machine, an aluminium
trimmer-copier and all the Technal car-
pentry presses. Ceime has 12 people
working in production and 8 in assembly,
while the technical office has 3 people
to carry out the work of writing up esti-
mates, and monitoring and executing
building work. The company has major
plans for the future thanks to the choice
of Zaragoza as the host city for Expo
2008. The company’s most recent pro-
jects include an apartment and office
building in the plaza España in the centre
of Zaragoza, where several Technal series
have been fitted, including windows and
light facades. This project gained Ceime
the Aluminier Technal 2005 award for
the best institutional building, which was
presented at the network’s recent annual
convention in Barcelona.
Technal in Casa Barcelona
SUMMER COOLING SYSTEM: the outdoor air, on crossing the humid vegetable layer, coolsthe interior atmosphere a few degrees.
WINTER HEATING SYSTEM: the façade itself is a greenhouse for the vegetation. The heatproduced contributes to insulating the interior and heating it.
Exterior finishes: stoneWindows + insulationsStructural sub-framesFaçade in floors
Composition of the interior insulating façade:
1. 12.5 mm fibre-plaster Fermacell Panel2. Fermacell panel for HD exteriors3. Mineral wool insulation4. Fermacell screws5. Sealant6. Acoustic separation tape7. Motorised WAREMA roller blind8. Lower stackable sub-frame with no break in the thermal bridge9. Technal casement aluminium carpentry
Composition of the exterior ventilated façade:
10. 7-mm Larson PCA panel11. Joint rivets on support parts12. Stiffener for hanging trays13. Tray support parts14. Omega aluminium for tray-bearing structure15. Technal sliding aluminium carpentry, hinged for interior cleaning16. Air sealing barrier
1 2 3 4 5 6
8
7
9
15
10 11 12 13 14
16
Line of the breakin the thermal bridge
© T
EC
HN
AL
. D
OC
. N
º 0
08
5.0
02
. P
rin
ted
in
Sp
ain
. S
ec
on
d Q
ua
rte
r 2
00
5
Located at the bottom of the Sierra
de Collserola hills in Barcelona, the
new Horta bus depot, designed by
the architects Jordi Fabré and Mercè
Torras, is based on sustainability, inte-
gration into the landscape and the
vertical use of the space. The building
houses 350 city buses in a triangular
plot covering 108.000 m2, 90% of
which has been converted into a par-
kland. To meet the challenge of de-
signing a building on different levels
– access, refuelling, washing areas
and parking space – and reduce its
environmental impact to a minimum,
they decided to dig into the plot and
cover it with a 21.686 m2 concrete
slab, on which a public park will be
laid out. The visual impact of the buil-
ding still visible on the surface – for
use as offices and a workshop – has
been reduced to a minimum by the
subtle handling of volume, giving it a
lightweight, transparent, luminous and
corporate appearance through the use
of materials such as glass, aluminium
and steel. One of the most complica-
ted zones, due to the intertwining
traffic flows involved, is the area where
the buses arrive once they have finis-
hed their shift in the city. To optimise
the space, a single structural element
– known as the palm tree – is used.
This is an enormous pillar supporting
1.200 m2 of surface. The bus parking
area has been designed using two
hypostyle floors connected by two
ramps, consisting of 252 columns
topped by a conic cap. The building’s
front glass façade is covered with a
Mecano curtain wall with hidden win-
dows, in which the architects have
hung a stainless steel mesh that re-
duces sunlight and provides better
sound absorption. In both the offices
and the other sections of the bus
depot, PG and Titane series doors,
GK sliding doors and Epure hidden
pane casement windows, with top
and bottom attachment, have been
used.
Barcelona bus depot
Technal® isa trademarkof the group
Hydro Building Systems SLZona Industr ia l Sector Autopistas • C/ Diese l , 108150 Parets del Vallès (Barcelona) • Tel. 902 22 23 23Fax 93 562 22 50 • [email protected] • www.technal.es
Construction: Horta bus depot in Barcelona.
Architect: Jordi Fabré and Mercè Torras.
Developer: Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona.
Construction company: FCC-Fomento de
Construcciones y Contratas.
Aluminium carpentry: Technal.
Manufacturers: Duetec Grup XXI S.L.
Tel. 93 710 06 12.
Solutions used: Mecano tradicional grid. PG and
Titane doors, GK sliding doors and Epure casements.
From this wide corridor, open to the outside, the walls made using Mecano can be seen
The refuellingarea for more
than 350buses in
the depot
BUS DEPOT SECTION