Exterior of Schiffbau building with custom rounded smart glass windows.
Building facade with smart windows from left to right on a large modern glass building.
Interior of modern building with smart glass windows from left to right overlooking the city.
Information
Owner
Schiffbau Immobilien AG, Zurich
Architect
arc Architekten AG, Zurich
Product
SageGlass Neutral Clear TGU
Project Size
3,100 ft² / 290 m²
Completed
2020
Photos
© Oliver Fischli
Body

The Challenge

The Schiffbau, a former industrial building in the trendy district of Zurich-West, once served as a steamboat construction hall. Today, the building is an indispensable part of Zurich’s cultural life. The Schiffbau is home to a theater, a jazz club, a restaurant and a rooftop bar. In spite of the bar’s impressive atmosphere, guests didn’t always feel comfortable there: the glass facade caused extreme overheating in summer. That had to change.

 

The Solution

The original concept of a glass and metal facade was retained but was upgraded with the latest generation of high-quality windows. The windows are a combination of dynamic sun-protection glass from Saint-Gobain SageGlass and the air-lux descending window system. Thanks to its electrochromic coating, the smart, triple-glazed SageGlass Classic Neutral Clear darkens or lightens automatically depending on the level of daylight. The glass can also be controlled manually via touchscreen to adjust the degree of tinting to individual requirements. Exceptional heat shielding capabilities prevent the interior from overheating, thus leading to comfortable room temperatures during any kind of weather. The glass also prevents glare in strong sunlight.

 

The Benefits

The rooftop bar’s unique and innovative facade allows it to offer guests a breathtaking view of the city of Zurich in every direction, day and night, rain or shine. The fashionably furnished, elongated bar has been restored to a space in which to unwind and enjoy, to eat and drink, to contemplate and debate, to get together and relax.

But it’s not only the guests who are pleased about the SageGlass; the bar’s owner also appreciates the features of the smart glass. SageGlass vastly improves the rooftop bar’s interior temperature and reduces heat influx, energy costs and maintenance costs. It also gave the architects and clients a creative freedom they could only dream of before.