Austrian Bank Boldly Announces To The World Its Presence Using GKD Metal Fabric
Prominent Austrian Bank, Raiffeisen Landesbank, features a unique inclined exterior design with a superimposed graphic on GKD metal fabric panels. Designed by Austrian firm, Strohecker, the bank was constructed with an emphasis on sustainability. Relying heavily on the use of natural daylight and energy-efficient building materials, GKD’s stainless mesh Tigris was specified.
The entire construction process, in Raaba, Styria in Southern Austria, took three years and exceeded $100 million. The building serves as an office to an estimated 800 employees of Raiffeisen Landesbank. The project represents a merging of all divisions within the bank and has been credited for creating a more efficient workflow and improved communication across divisions.
A modern high-security data center is housed next to the Raiffeisen Landesbank and a multi-story parking garage for 630 parking spaces was built nearby as well. The headquarters occupies 228,000 sq. ft. of land and includes accommodations for training rooms, sales units, and a restaurant.
Nine of GKD’s Tigris mesh panels were used on the large awning design. The material is often specified in architectural works for its sunshading and ultraviolet protection. Additionally the material’s open weave allows for unobstructed views of the outside. The technique used to attach the metal mesh panels was GKD’s European attachment system, Fusiomesh.
A custom version of the Tigris was used at the edges of the metal panels. A round rod was integrated into the mesh and was used as an intermediate fixing element. The Tigris mesh is especially beneficial for its transparency.
information courtesy of Thomas Lorenz, Raiffeisen-Landesbank