Panel cladding SKIN

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The new research and collection centre in Hall is a veritable treasure chest: This is where millions of collection pieces of the Tyrolean Landesmuseen are carefully preserved – from a 3,000-year-old mummy and stone-age wedges to the string instruments of the legendary Tyrolean violin maker, Jakob Stainer. The design by the architectural offices, Franz&Sue is a striking, monolithic block with a dark and mysterious facade made of glassfibre reinfoced concrete elements, protecting the region’s cultural heritage at the foot of the Tyrolean Alps. More than 719 unique concrete elements: For the facade design, Rieder, together with the architectural office, has developed a new product which combines the industrial production process of the merely 13 millimetre thick glassfibre reinforced concrete panels with an artisanal component. The result: Each of the deformed facade elements is just as unique as the collection pieces that are kept in the research and collection centre. The production uses an object similar to the hand axe, over which the material is applied. The hardening of the glassfibre reinforced concrete results not only in the desired imprint, but also in a material-specific, unique fold design, marking the character of each element and giving the facade of the monolithic building its liveliness. Photos: Ditz Fejer