GLASS FOR FACADE 2022

GLASS FOR FAÇADE - EDITION 2022 - 89 88 - GLASS FOR FAÇADE - EDITION 2022 COURT NEW AMSTERDAM COURT HOUSE SPARKLING FUNCTIONAL BUILDING WITH HIGH-QUALITY FIRE-RESISTANT AND SAFETY GLASS Location Amsterdam, NL Architect KAAN Architecten, Rotterdam, NL Glass processor Vetrotech Saint-Gobain Photos ©Fernando Guerra, Saint-Gobain Since May 2021, the proceedings of the Amsterdam jurisdiction have taken place in a new building, which combines function and aesthetics in a clearly structured and simultaneously inviting way. Fire resistant and high- security glass from Vetrotech Benelux, complying to the classifications EW30, EI30, EW60 as well as EI60, contribute to the security of this large- scale complex. With fifty different courtrooms, over one thousand employees, among them two hundred judges, and 140,000 judgements per year, the Amsterdam Court House is by far the biggest of the eleven courts in the Netherlands. Glass plays an important role, being used as fire-resistant and high-security glazing in a multitude of different superstructures. Openness as a design principle The sparkling functional building in the Zuidas quarter was designed and built by the NACH (New Amsterdam Court House) consortium on behalf of the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (RVB). The central hall with its escalators opens along an enclosed garden and a series of courtrooms, creating a sea of space and light. New solutions for complex challenges A distinctive feature in the new courthouse is the special combination of fire-resistant and high-security glazing, for which Vetrotech conducted development tests on a project basis. Approximately 400 m 2 of fire- resistant glass CONTRAFLAM® and CONTRAFLAM® LITE were used in various combinations and in the classifications EW30, EW60, EI30 and EI 60. In addition, there are more than 200 m 2 of CONTRAFLAM® LITE EW60 and almost 90 m 2 of VETROGARD® BULLET. From complexity to simplicity A particular challenge was combining the different requirements regarding glass and profile. Together, Vetrotech and Agentor thus developed solutions which were inspected by a recognised authority or verified through a fire test. For example, the requirements of the anti-burglary protection were achieved with a combination of fire- resistant glass EW60 with RC2 and RC3 classifications. In addition to the fire-resistant glass products, a large number of Saint-Gobain Gypsum solutions were successfully specified for the walls in this project: Habito®, DuraGyp®, Aquaroc® and Gyproc® Stuc.