Kristall - HVB Tower
Henn GmbH
View of the scaffolding and the substructure of the crystal during installation in the HVB Tower. Photo: HGEsch
Rethinking a monument
The HVB Tower has been part of Munich's skyline since 1981. The high-rise building designed by architects Walther and Bea Betz is a listed building and nothing was allowed to change on the outside. Inside, the architects had a free hand. The result: a completely redesigned foyer with the crystal as a central element that draws employees and visitors into a new working world from the very first step.
The welded steel components of the primary structure were planned and manufactured entirely in-house. Photo: HGEsch
Steel skeleton for a spatial sculpture
What can be seen in the construction site photos gives an impression of what lies behind the immaculate white surface: a highly complex steel construction in which no two components are alike. All surfaces of the crystal are at an angle to each other, no two are parallel. We planned and manufactured every element of the primary construction in-house, based on a complete parametric 3D model in which even individual screw connections were planned through. Our project manager Christian Nochta puts it in a nutshell: "When I enter the lobby, the crystal literally draws me into the middle of the room, my gaze upwards and then my breath catches."
The polygonal surfaces of the crystal made of mineral composite material in Alpine White characterize the image of the office levels. Photo: HGEsch
The crystal not only serves as a design element, but also as a balustrade facing the atrium. Photo: HGEsch
View through the opening of the crystal to the glass pent roof. Photo: HGEsch
Form follows geometry
The crystal shape was not an arbitrary design decision. The HVB Tower consists of three prisms, so the basic shape of the building was almost inevitable. Over 17 meters and three floors, the crystal opens up lines of sight between the floors, directs the view upwards to the 114-meter-high tower and at the same time serves as a parapet to the atrium. What divides, connects at the same time. This is no coincidence, but the result of a precise architectural idea that we implemented technically.
The Kristall creates space for encounters and exchanges on several floors. Photo: HGEsch
The foyer of the HVB Tower with the crystal as the central design element, which inevitably draws the eye upwards. Photo: HGEsch
Invisible joints, visible result
Henn Architekten had a clear requirement: the movement joints in the mineral composite cladding should disappear as far as possible. Our solution was a two-part substructure. A primary level transfers all loads into the building, while a secondary level follows the cladding surface and absorbs thermal expansion. We placed the unavoidable joints in visual corners where they are barely noticeable. The result is a seamless white surface that gives the crystal the appearance of a single piece.
Seamless and precise. The transitions are barely noticeable. Photo: HGEsch
Coordination as a core service
An object of this complexity is not built alone. As the overall contractor, we coordinated all those involved: 5D Engineering took care of the implementation planning, structural analysis and official approval in individual cases, Design-to-Production supplied the parametric construction model and Rosskopf und Partner manufactured and installed the HI-MACS solid surface cladding. The fact that a project without a comparable reference object was completed on time and without compromising on design was the result of this close collaboration.
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