Coated Metal Mesh Panels Provide Design And Safety On Swiss Furniture Store

October 11, 2016

In beautiful Contone, Switzerland, the Pfister Furniture Store boasts a bright red metal façade that is in line with the companies branding. Pfister Furniture Company started as a small furniture workshop in 1882 that grew into 20 branches all over Switzerland. It’s one of the largest specialty retailers of its type in the country.

Recently the furniture store underwent a complete refurbishment lead by the Tricara firm of architects from Zurich. An extension was added to the external emergency escape that received a new façade made of custom metal mesh from GKD. It acts as a fall guard protection that meets both purpose and design aesthetics. Since its completion, the building exceeds 26,000 square feet.

Tricara specified GKD metal mesh for its many mesh types and chose Lago especially for the project. Nineteen bright red-coated metal panels made of customized Lago stainless steel mesh were fastened to the steel construction.  Each panel measures 20 feet wide by 30 feet long and is vertically placed over the entire height of the building. Then, the panels are fastened with a round rod and eyebolt system to create a seamless solution. The walkway, in which the metal mesh protects, is 32 by 262 feet with four emergency staircases and four escape doors.

The owner of the store needed a solution that was visually stunning and highly functional and the architects responded with stainless steel cladding. The open mesh structure offers many benefits beyond safety. It is transparent and allows unhindered views from the inside to the surrounding landscape. The façade protects from glare, requires minimum care and maintenance, and is incredibly durable. Considering the extreme weather the region undergoes throughout the year, the durability of the metal façade is placed under tough demands. Its unlimited service life and freedom from maintenance underlines the value of the investment.

The Tricara architects were able to meet design and safety demands with a coated stainless steel façade. The result is a protective shell – with successful fall protection testing through the Uniform Technical Building Regulators Directive (ETB) – that is also incredibly striking.