Copper has been around since its discovery in 8700 BC. One of the most commonly used metals in human history. When people build with copper, they can use the material in a variety of ways - from stairwells and facades to statues to elaborate and complex architecture. One of the first architectural uses occurred in ancient Egypt for the massive doors of the Temple of Amun Re at Karnak in 300 BC.
How can you build with copper these days
The lightweight metal has a wide range of uses, ranging from facade cladding to roofs, interior applications and high-tech solutions. The material is sustainable in its natural form and is 100% recycled. As the state of architecture focuses more on sustainability, copper is becoming the ideal standard for today's modern buildings. Below we have selected a few projects from different cities in which the architects are building with the versatile copper.
Copper facade for the St. Martin Villach sports hall
The building impresses with its copper facade made of folded perforated sheets, which covers the hall like a semi-transparent veil. The copper sheets are offset on each floor by a folded element that structures the front horizontally. The facade is interrupted by glass fronts on the upper floor on the northeast side and on the ground floor on the southeast side. In addition to the numerous skylights, the former ensures an even and glare-free incidence of daylight, while the latter looks into the sports hall from the schoolyard.
A path, also covered with copper sheeting, overlooks the main entrance and the glass front. The foyer, with a direct line of sight to the sports hall, also houses a buffet, sanitary facilities, the caretaker's room and access to the stands with 220 seats. The stairs and an elevator lead to the changing rooms in the basement with direct access to the hall. The gymnastics room is located above the foyer and offers a view of the sports hall and the outdoor facilities. The basement and three sides of the building are primarily made of reinforced concrete. The southeast wall is a timber frame construction, while the roof consists of prefabricated, insulated timber elements.
In contrast to the copper-colored facade on a black background, light colors dominate the interiors. The gym floor and walls are also clad in oak, while all other surfaces are cream white. So this creates a cozy atmosphere. For this reason, the entire ventilation technology is integrated into the walls. The supply air is then let in airlessly and noiselessly via the north-east wall of the sports hall through perforations in the heavily loaded wall. The used air is thus expelled through channels in the southwest wall.
Childcare facility and youth hostel
The construction materials for the entire building ensure homogeneous facade cladding. The new building is located on the outskirts of Paris (low-cost housing). The building is clad in bricks, which are long lasting and easy to maintain. These have been placed with a square edge grind and are handmade. This semi-industrial production method gives the brick endless nuances in its anthracite tones.
To emphasize the high quality of the material, the two caesuras are made of copper. The luminosity and reflective quality of the material contrasts with the velvety texture of the dark brick. The rounded corners of the building are also faced with brick. By gradually setting back floors 7, 8 and 9 from the base, several small terraces made of painted aluminum are created. The compactness of the building allowed for mostly 2×2 meter windows for each studio.
There are also two wind turbines on the roof. They supply the day care during the day and the hostel with electricity at night. This choice of energy supply, still in its infancy in an urban environment, is particularly justified here. The building is in an elevated position and is in a breezeway. Solar panels on the roof provide 30% of the building's energy needs.
Building school facades with copper
The ground floor of the first building contains the school's cafeteria, kitchen and cloakroom for childcare. There is a reading and gaming area on the first floor. The sleeping area with a covered terrace is positioned on the second floor. The second building is dedicated exclusively to the “le nid” kindergarten. The two areas for the children are located above the cafeteria, kitchen, cloakroom and the coordinator's office. Each of them occupies one floor and is organized in a similar way. A heated underground passage allows easy movement between the two buildings.
The buildings are spread over 3 floors, the cafeteria areas on the ground floor connect directly to the outdoor areas. The interior of the buildings is free of intermediate structures to make it as flexible as possible. This principle is reinforced by integrating the storage areas into the facade walls.
For this reason, the main areas run through the entire building and provide plenty of light and diverse relationships with the outside area. The playful arrangement of the windows offers various options for adapting the rooms and gives the copper facades more dynamism. The position of the windows also allows them to be converted into usable recesses for children.
Cultural center in Bastia, France
The construction of the cultural center was the main goal of urban renewal. A place for everyone, where city dwellers can enhance exchanges through social and cultural practices. The building is open to all residents of Bastia. Their role allows the community to open up to the outside world. The aim of the project was to create an innovative and creative place of contrasts, shadows and lights. The lecture rooms are bright, while the lecture hall remains dark and sonorous. The answer to this demand is literal and radical.
The cultural center shows the impact on neighborhood revitalization. The media library opens to the sky and offers a panoramic view of the city. This is designed as an open space for space and light with an open floor. This offers particular flexibility. The reading rooms also extend to the passage to the outside, where every visitor can read safely. All rooms impress with their airy architecture, lightness and brightness, which are connected to the surroundings. The entire volume appears to be floating above the trees, monitoring the neighborhood. It also offers a special view of the horizon, the city and the sea.
Modern facade for courthouse
This project emerged from an open competition won by architects Christian Kronaus and Erhard An-He Kinzelbach in collaboration with Vasko + Partner Engineers. The St. Pölten courthouse (Lower Austria) asked for an extension for the higher regional court, the regional court and the public prosecutor's office. For this reason, the representative square in front of the historic courthouse had to be redesigned with a new underground car park. On an urban scale, the new building closes the gap between the existing courthouse and the neighboring prison. The former is a listed building with three floors.
A key challenge in designing the extension was to find a solution that respects the historical context and cohesively connects old with new, while at the same time viewing the new building as a structure in its own right rather than just a structure. The mediation between old and new works not only formally, but also spatially and organizationally. Above all, the architects developed a system that efficiently connects the three floors of the courthouse with the five floors of the new building and at the same time mediates between the different ceiling heights.
The “Helix” staircase
Last but not least, we introduce you to the “Experimentarium” science center in Denmark. Since 1991, challenging and thought-provoking exhibitions have been presented there in an environment that originally served as a bottling plant for the Tuborg Brewery. Visitors' first experience of the building is the helix staircase, which greets you with radiant copper cladding as you pass through the entrance. Visitors immediately know that they have entered the world of science.
The staircase ensures good internal flow and creates coherence between floors. At the same time, the scientific orientation of the building is also underpinned. During a workshop, the architects were inspired to work with the staircase as an abstract version of the structure of the DNA strand. Thus the idea for the Helix staircase was born. This is 100 meters long and consists of 160 tons of steel, which are covered with 10 tons of copper.
Back in 2011, the architectural firm won the international competition for the design of the new Experimentarium. In addition to doubling the exhibition space, the renovation includes a large roof terrace that will be open for activities in spring 2017. The building also has modern staff facilities with visual contact to the visitor areas, a large café with a picnic area, a congress center, teaching units and a number of workshops.
