Dynafit Speed Factory

Kiefersfelden
Dynafit Speed Factory

facade design, special structures  Services

Barozzi Veiga  Architect

Folded glass and metal façade that creates a play of light and shadow

Project

The Dynafit Speed Factory in Kiefersfelden, located at the entrance to the Alps, blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. The 29 meter high building, which consists of two intersecting, prismatic volumes, reflects the alpine mountains and valleys with its geometry. It houses offices, laboratories, living spaces, a kindergarten and a flagship store. The inclined glass façades offer impressive views and let light into the interior. The façades developed by knippershelbig are based on a small-scale, faceted geometry that reflects the surrounding mountain landscape through light and shadow effects. The constructions made of steel profiles, glazing and aluminum sheets reinforce this effect and give the building a lively, dynamic appearance.

A key challenge was translating the complex geometry into a construction system

Facade Construction
The inclined façade surfaces consist of a serrated steel mullion and transom façade with selectively coated triple insulating glazing and rigid external shading panels. The distinctive building envelope is optimized for maximum energy performance and floods the interiors with natural light. The vertical envelope surfaces are designed as ventilated curtain wall façades that integrate the same triangular panels to achieve a uniform appearance for the entire building.

A fundamental approach was to combine the architectural concept with an efficient shading system

Shading Concept
The glass facades feature a folded geometry with integrated, perforated metal shading panels that adjust according to sunlight to reduce solar heat gain in summer and utilize it in winter. The facade geometry was optimized in a parametric 3D-CAD model based on local solar radiation vectors. The resulting ridges and valleys were equipped with triangular metal panels positioned orthogonally to the sun's rays. Simulations showed that this combination reduces solar radiation on the east facade by 53% and on the west facade by 63%. Along with a selective solar control coating on the glazing, the requirements for summer thermal protection are met.

The folded façade geometry creates structural height and thus increased performance

Structural Concept
The architectural concept is closely linked to the structural design, with the folded facade geometry increasing its structural height and performance. To avoid visible expansion joints, the mullions were designed as continuous beams that can move freely vertically, preventing stress due to floor slab deflection. The inclined facade generates high compressive loads, especially in the lower floors where the mullions are over 10 meters long. To prevent buckling, the load-bearing capacity was analyzed using nonlinear theories. Large spans are realized with rectangular steel hollow sections, ensuring deflections and stresses are kept within safe limits.

Project data

Client Oberalp Group

Architect Barozzi Veiga

Finalization 2024

Services facade design, special structures