The CCH building conglomeration, located almost imperceptibly behind the Radisson Blue Hotel, lacks a coherent appearance. The visitor approach to the building and the reception in the “foyer” are not particularly imposing. The new double-layer façade makes the CCH visible. Like a brace, it holds the separate sections of the building together, with the shimmer of the multifaceted façade strip – visible from afar – sending out a powerful message in terms of urban development. By redesigning the forecourt and extracting the three-storey foyer (cable façade of vertical pretensioned stainless steel cables) out into the forecourt, the CCH appears self-assured when viewed from the Dammtor station and from the park.
The façade strip echoes the horizontal division of the hotel’s base and the scale of the vertical strips of the adjacent hotel tower. The strip is populated with translucent glass elements and affords views of the adjoining outdoor areas at defined points. The permeable façade base, in contrast, forges a direct link to the outside area over its entire length. The distinctive horizontal strips of the floor levels of the hotel’s base are transitioned clearly and naturally into the parapets of the foyer levels. The translucence of the strip façade is emphasised by the etched glass elements – a floral-style pattern resulting from the adventitious chemical treatment of the glass elements – that correspond to the park grounds on an abstract level.
Text: Gabriele Kaiser
