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Could it be possible, even likely, that Santiago Calatrava would be interested in building a generic warehouse? The answer to that question is yes, but only partially.
Ernsting is a clothing company that operates from a large warehouse in Koesfeld-Lehte, Germany. The building they occupy was designed by Gerzy, whose specialty is the textile industry.
Santiago Calatrava, along with Fabio Reinhardt and Bruno Reichlin, was engaged to provide an iconic design for the cladding of this building using aluminium.
Santiago was able to use his considerable influence and engineering ability to control a large part of the cladding design. He also managed to introduce elements of kinetic design into the building, unlike any other warehouse you’ve ever seen.
Large warehouse doors are of strange and unusual design, with the doors folding more or less horizontally in the center. This in itself may not be unusual, but the fold line is curved, making it impossible to construct the door from any type of large flat panel. In fact, the doors are made of several tube-like sections that are mounted vertically. These horizontal pieces vary in length, and match the location of the central curve on each door.
As the doors are raised, the center of the door continues to move forward until the door is fully open. In doing so, a scoop-shaped cover forms over the opening, which in turn provides additional weather protection for the open door area. It’s all very sculptural—something Mr. Calatrava is known for.
This was interesting and innovative in its own right, but hardly the end of the design exercise.
Three of the four walls of the godown are simple flat walls. On the south-facing wall, which is windowless, Santiago created a glazed wall that appears to wave from one end to the other. For 102 metres, the aluminum cladding strips move in and out in a wave like rhythmic pattern. For Ernsting, it was the epitome of the classic lines of flowing fabric in a dress.
He got his iconic design, courtesy of Santiago Calatrava and his associates.
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