You’re so transparent: Schüco

Visionaries often have to wait patiently for their farsighted views to be recognised as such. Many of them wait so long for recognition that they begin to doubt that it will ever come – as did Anton Brückner, who was not celebrated as a composer until he reached the age of 60. Others die long before fame arrives, like Alan Turing, who laid the foundation for computer technology, or Vincent van Gogh, who was forced to depend on financial support from his brother as long as he lived because his works did not sell.

The vision that Schüco offers with its Panorama Design reflects a different approach. It is intent upon being overlooked. In keeping with the principle of ‘less is more,’ the truly distinctive feature of the multifaceted Panorama Design is the fact that the visible face widths are minimised to the extent that they recede from view in favour of maximum transparency and optimum thermal insulation.

The fact that, at first glance, most observers of Schüco Panorama Design simply enjoy the unimpeded view and only take notice of the system after taking a second look is nothing new for this company from Bielefeld. After all, Schüco has been ahead of its time with many products over the course of its 70-year history.

The company, for example, began using aluminum as a robust, lightweight material in 1954 and in so doing, enjoyed great commercial success. They also took issues related to climate protection and resource conservation seriously with heat-insulating aluminum windows long before the oil crisis in 1971, and later, with plastics, introduced new alternatives to the market, rising in the 1980s to the status of global player.

Panorama Design is yet another milestone in the history of Schüco. When, near the end of the last century, architects sought to give expression to the so-called Zweite Moderne with its emphasis on transparency, glass became increasingly important as a building material for facades as well. This presented Schüco a welcome opportunity to expand its product range.

The results appeared in the form of windows, slide- and facade systems with visible face widths of 35mm and upwards, impressive stability and outstanding safety elements. Thus, the desire to satisfy the increasingly demanding requirements of architects gave rise, through Panorama Design, to an inspiration that led to fascinating creations – like the glass building with a 360° views in the Birkenmeier Design + Stein exhibition park, which relies entirely on the modern Panorama Design FWS 35 PD facade system.

In addition to easy installation, the aluminum facade system also offers passive-house-quality heat insulation and full-glass corners without vertical post profiles and thus, the system meets the highest standards in relation to both visual appeal and ecological design. It can also be combined with Schüco’s windows and slide systems.

Even where the Panorama Design system is used only partially, as in the historical facade of the Steam Hotel in the Swedish city of Västerås, or in the private Baierl house designed by architect Felber Sergej, it succeeds in making an impact.

The ASS 77 PD and ASE 67 PD Panorama Design slide systems were designed as large facade openings. Thanks to narrow frames that can be integrated perfectly into walls and to floor-level thresholds which provide for seamless transition from inside to outside, the folding doors disappear completely from view when opened. The perfection of this design is evident in the 90°, full-glass corner units, which can, of course, also be opened.

The recently finished headquarters of the Roschmann Company in Gersthofen is one of the first buildings to make perfect use of the visionary effect of the Schüco’s newest product: the AWS 75 PD window system. The glass tower is now a prime example of modern, farsighted architecture over twelve stories – visually appealing, energy-efficient and safe.

In spite of the substantial freedom permitted by Panorama Design, all variations offer security, optimal drainage, ease of installation and great flexibility. Technical details, such as the automated drive and locking technology and slide-system control via touchpad and app, simplify building usage to the extent that nothing at all distracts from the view – not even environmental influences, as they are kept outside.

From windows to slide systems to facades, Panorama Design has received a number of awards, including the German Design Award, the Red Dot Award and the iF Design Award. The secret of its success is simple: Schüco doesn’t focus on products, but instead on the people who use them. And it is this understated approach that forms the basis of one new vision after another.

© Architonic