Astron - Industrial building – Kirkel/Saar - Germany – Steel Construction – Kirkel/Saar - Germany

Simple but effective: recessed corner entrance and coloured highlights October 2003’s Building of the Month is to be found close to ASTRON’s Luxembourg headquarters, in nearby Kirkel/Saar, Germany. It was the first ASTRON project of Builder Aden from Lebach. Erected in 2000, it’s simple yet highly effective architectural features reflected Aden’s imaginative and farsighted approach to ASTRON projects. The company fully adopted a joint Builder/ASTRON initiative to make plain buildings better looking by the use of striking, but often simple, architectural approaches. Owner Steffen Stein’s company is engaged in the sale, rental and maintenance of Karcher ground cleaning and high-pressure equipment for industrial and commercial use. He chose the very popular ASTRON PR and PA panels for wall and roof cladding. Additionally, to emphasise his company’s role as a Karcher distributor, the main frames, rake trip and downspouts are all made in Karcher’s familiar yellow trade colour. The functional 660 m² building contains sales and exhibition areas as well as offices, common rooms, storehouse and workshop. 120 mm ASTROTHERM glassfibre insulation with AVS facing for the roof and 80 mm with KAS facing for the walls, provides high thermal insulation performance and gives an agreeable interior atmosphere. For economic and esthetical reasons, the final customer decided on a recessed corner entrance incorporating attractive glass elements, instead of the usual canopy, to provide protection from wind, rain and sun. Thus, the exterior column becomes an interesting architectural element. Clever use of highlighting colours in the corner entrance show that relatively austere means, well though out and executed, can dramatically improve a building’s looks.
Builder:	Fa. Aden
Customer:	Fa. Manfred Göbel Inh. Steffen Stein
Architect:	Fa. Aden