Innovative solar shading wins 2011 LEAF Award
The category for the best sustainable technology incorporated into a building in the 2011 Emirates LEAF Awards was won by the Q1 Building in Essen, Germany. This building forms the heart of the new ThyssenKrupp Quarter on the site of the old cast-steel production facility. It has 11 floors of flexible area and is structured by intermediate levels and floating bridges.
The window panes are support by filigree cable constructions, so the windows appear to be made from a single pane of glass.
The innovative and efficient solar-shading system for large parts of the facade has over 3000 metal feathers. They rotate to follow the position of the Sun, avoiding overheating while still providing views for the occupants and directing natural light into the interior.
Q1 was designed by JSWD Architekten with Chaix & Morel et Associés.
