New concept for building bridges

Mercedes Benz AG – Sindelfingen

facade design Services

knippershelbig Architect

Refurbishment of the glass façades of eight multi-storey pedestrian bridges from 1996, with restoration of the steel structure

Project

At the Mercedes-Benz development center in Sindelfingen, several 1 to 4-storey glazed pedestrian bridges connect the building complexes. Each bridge level is divided by three rows of glass of equal height, one above the other. Parallel hinged windows are only arranged in the top row for ventilation. A special construction was developed without vertical mullions, just a transom system. The VGS glass was supplemented with a new type of dot film for bird protection. As part of the project, the coating of the bridge support structures was completely refurbished, welds repaired, crossings tightened and the roof covering renewed. The entire construction work was carried out without any restrictions on plant operations.

Structural and glass façade renovation of eight multi-storey building bridges

Fassade Design

From the outside, the façade elevations are defined by large horizontal glass surfaces and the horizontally emphasized transom profiles. On the inside, a console reduced to the minimum necessary in terms of construction and installation continues the principle of transparency and lightness. The vertical glass joints are closed by H-sealing profiles. A bird protection film was used as the laminated film for the VGS panes. Parallel projecting windows are positioned at regular intervals in the top row of glass. Permanent scaffolding anchors were incorporated at the intersections for future renovation work.