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THE ZIPPER, DÜSSELDORF
© Lars Gruber
© David Franck
The perforated aluminium curtain facade alludes to a series of horizontal zips
UNUSUAL USE MIX
The lower levels contain restaurants and retail (ground level), medical offices above, and a single level of operating theatres; upper levels have a hotel and nine residential stories
process of a transformation, over a series of iterative changes under its new ownership. Given the site’s long medical history, it was a priority to incorporate commercially sustainable medical facilities into what could otherwise have been a purely residential development. The architects also saw it as an opportunity to revitalise the site and introduce a new generation of high-quality residential spaces. Consequently, the building was designed to accommodate medical supply shops, doctors’ offices, and even a dedicated floor for operating theatres. Despite its bold, striking design, the project has focused on its commitment to integrating into its surroundings and harmoniously coexist with neighbouring buildings. The Zipper, in conjunction with the Vodafone Tower, a nearby high-rise structure, “takes up the traffic from the West like a city gate and serves as a counterweight to the striking existing buildings of the hospital,” says the architects.
Facade design
The exterior of the Zipper Tower has been created to deliver a clinical yet playful impression. The wavy shell “generously” unfolds on the east, south, and west sides of the building where the various terraces offer striking views of the Rhine. In contrast, the
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© Lars Gruber
northern side is enclosed to ensure effective noise insulation from the busy nearby traffic from that side. To create the impression of ‘real’ zips, the facade has been designed to create “seamlessly gradual” transitions between the open and closed sections, along long curves. This also allows “flexible adaptation during the process of development over the years,” asserts the architects. The facade comprises a fairly complex arrangement of features, including a double-skin aluminium curtain wall, all-glass balustrades, sliding glass units, and a special lattice girder structure for the pergola. Notably, the curtain wall, glass railings, and slide-turn glazing systems all share a common substructure. The architect’s comment: “Here, therefore, was a possibility to constructively compensate for the construction tolerances,” however adding that “a high assembly accuracy was required.” The material used for the curtain wall was a “barely visible” brown powdered smooth sheet metal.
The overall facade amounts to an array of 4,500 distinct waves, each characterised by varying heights, protrusions, and recess sizes. Behind the wave-shaped curved and perforated aluminium elements, sits a further facade with integrated aluminium window elements forming the thermal
ADF OCTOBER 2023
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