Herrliberg
Year
2011
HIRT kinetics®
- SF Custom
Architect
- Laurenz A. Weisser
- weisser.ch
Project Partner
- Hirt Metallbau AG
HIRT brings movement into architecture and plays with invisibility
When a garage door fits perfectly into the architectural ensemble and is invisible at first glance, spectacular surprise effects are inevitable. Suddenly, a seemingly solid wall sets itself in motion and disappears into the ground. The next moment, a car pulls out. Where it seems like magic must be involved, HIRT moving architecture® is usually not far away.
HIRT moving architecture® revolutionises even garage doors
Almost every child knows what a garage door looks like and what its function is. These doors exist in a wide variety, from completely classic to ultra-chic, as well as in a huge array of styles ranging from sectional doors, swing doors and up-and-over doors to roller doors. Diverse materials also provide plenty of opportunities for individualisation: Customers can choose between plastic, steel, aluminium, and solid wood. Conventional garage doors usually fit well into any ensemble of buildings and can often be adapted to individual requirements. They do, however, remain perceptible as garage doors – and are therefore always visible.
Yet, there are certain fields of application where precisely this sort of visibility is undesirable.
This is where conventional garage doors simply won’t fit.
HIRT moving architecture® is ready for such supposedly complicated cases. After all, it can do more than simply lower windows: Whether door, wall, or fence – the proven Swiss precision technology lets architectural components vanish as if by magic, thus opening up entirely new dimensions and possibilities. This even applies to garage doors.
An example from the Swiss canton of Zurich shows what magic this technology unfolds in practice.
The seemingly massive stone front lowers as if by magic, opening up the driveway for the car.
A very uniform and understated design characterises the villa in Herrliberg. A conventional garage door would be visible and thus, a disruptive factor.
The deliberate play with invisibility
In Herrliberg, high above the shore of Lake Zurich, sits a modern villa designed by the architectural firm Weisser. It is characterised by an exceedingly clear design language that is reduced to the essentials. The ensemble’s highlight is a continuous façade facing towards the street. Everything is dominated by a bright natural stone cladding, which draws a uniform line radiating a particular sense of calm and elegance, while also providing plenty of privacy.
At this point, an ordinary garage door would have disrupted the overall composition simply by being visible. In the solution as it is implemented, however, no door can be seen at all: Rather, the uniform front runs uncompromisingly along the entire façade, completely concealing the wide garage which offers space for at least three vehicles parked side by side. And yet, the architects have accomplished not merely a visual masterpiece – but a technical one, as well, since a conventional garage door would have reached its limits simply due to the statics and the weight to be moved. Not so with HIRT kinetics®! Using standard components, the technology can easily move objects with a surface area of up to 40 square meters. Larger areas are also possible: In this case, the designers can rely on the HIRT kinetics® SF Custom series. Nothing is off-the-shelf here; everything is manufactured individually.
The largest element installed by HIRT to date measured 20 meters in length and weighed 7,500 kilograms. And yet, this by no means reaches the limits of what is possible, as even bigger elements can be implemented. It seems as if HIRT moving architecture® goes beyond the laws of physics. Massive walls descend silently and almost weightlessly. This is achieved by a structure perfectly balanced by counterweights. The entire construction is moved easily by a small motor housed in the utility room. Here, too, everything is worked out down to the last detail – fully committed to the great tradition of Swiss craftsmanship. Even the speed of the movement is perfectly choreographed: It must be neither too fast nor too slow in order to create a sense of perfection.
The principle of perfection: Almost invisible edges are a hallmark of HIRT moving architecture®.
Safe & impermeable: HIRT kinetics® technology meets the highest standards
HIRT kinetics® retractable fronts impress not only visually, but also with regard to other details. Without ordinary locks or hinges, the garage door offers great security against burglary. Additionally, HIRT kinetics® retractable fronts have for many years proven themselves under extreme weather conditions: Neither salty air nor tropical heat, ice, or snow can harm the technology. It meets all standards in terms of impermeability to driving rain, storm resistance, and trap protection. This is ensured, among other things, by strict compliance with EN standards. Type examination provides evidence of CE conformity.
Convince yourself of the innovative and uncompromising solutions by HIRT moving architecture®, which bring a previously unknown dynamic into your house.
