Product category:
Cladding and Facades
News Release from: DuPont, Corian and Zodiaq | Subject: Corian for the Seeko'o hotel
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 06 November 2007
DuPont Corian for the Seeko'o hotel
World-first in architectural technology: facade entirely made from DuPont Corian for the Seeko'o hotel in Bordeaux, France.
The sleek, icy white facade of the Seeko'o hotel is already making a statement in the dockland area of Bordeaux Seeko'o means "iceberg" or "glacier" in Inuit...and from the start this was an unusual and adventurous concept
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 18 Jul 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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In order to create the desired "iceberg" effect, architect Jean-Christophe Masnada, of the Atelier d'architecture King Kong, had the idea to develop a facade made from DuPont Corian.
While both the aesthetic and performance qualities of the material made it a clear choice, an exterior cladding process such as this had never been done before and has resulted in a world-first for DuPont Corian.
All tests and technical validations were undertaken by Qualiconsult, a French regulatory organization, as part of an "Enquande Technique Nouvelle" (New technical Enquiry).
This was done in close cooperation with Anne-Line Citerne, project leader at DuPont, who explains: "The innovative fixing system that was developed for this project was validated as an R+4 level facade-cladding project in a Class II wind area during the enquiry by Qualiconsult.
This system uses Facalu aluminium frameworks from the Etanco company and incorporates invisible fixings that attach the panels of DuPont Corian onto a clip system on the framework in secondary, horizontal profiles.
The framework is about 10 cm thick and can also, if required, receive an exterior insulation material (glass wool or other type), as well as a rain-proof film, between each rail.
This innovative system provides outstanding impact strength together with excellent resistance to positive and negative loads".
The project builds on all of the inherent qualities of DuPont Corian for outdoor applications: it is smooth, non-porous, resistant to weathering and graffiti, has a good UV resistance and provides edges that have the same colour as the faces and joints between each panel.
The translucency of DuPont Corian can also be exploited beautifully in exterior applications.
The concept of a facade made from DuPont Corian came at an early stage to Jean-Christophe Masnada, who speaks enthusiastically about the project: "We were impressed by this noble and rich material from DuPont, which enabled us to withdraw from the traditional facade fitting systems.
The facade panels are laid on a double metal framework in order to ensure a good evenness throughout: the tolerance between the panels is adjusted by one millimeter.
We also had to deal with large (6 x 3 m) yet thin panels, meaning these were both heavy and potentially fragile.
The challenge was both to transport and to fix them onto the support.
There is no visible fixing in the facade, but we used a hidden fixing device created for use with DuPont Corian that involves a metal insert with a screw thread that is embedded into the material.
A hook is screwed into this and then clips itself onto the secondary framework at every 30 cm.
Therefore, a special laying methodology, taking into account all the types of glazed frames found in the facade, was implemented.
DuPont Corian offers the further advantage of easy maintenance and repairability on site.
Even after its installation in the event of any damage: it can be renewed by a process of either sanding away superficial damage or cutting out and replacing the damaged sections and then repolishing.
The facade fabricator and AEA, the fabricator of DuPont Corian, worked very carefully, because of the high levels of precision required.
The facade maker developed a very clever hoisting system, specifically for this project, because the panels would not have withstood 'normal' hoisting.
Thanks to this system, they could slide the panels on rails, then raise them into a horizontal position and finally swivel them vertically to take their position on the facade.
Cool, clean DuPont Corian Glacier White was the obvious choice to highlight the subtle sculptural look of the building, with its lines, planes and angles, its repeated openings, its interplay of shadow and light.
Inside, the spacious bedrooms offer a view over the Garonne.
The interior space has been "liberated" as much as possible and the bathrooms are inside the rooms, with a simple screen for privacy.
Here the motto is simplicity from ceiling to carpet.
The design theme of using DuPont Corian is repeated and the material features once again on the interior as the bathrooms are fitted with basins made from Corian, with a geometry that evokes the overall look of the building.
In the reception hall, a 4.5 meter long counter, also made from DuPont Corian Glacier White, replicates the facade.
Facts and figures.
Spend: 4.2 million Euros after tax (including land purchase).
3 Stars, 5 stories, 45 vast bedrooms ranging from 27 to 55 square meters (5 of them located on the top floor, with a terrace and a panoramic view over the Garonne).
Luxury fittings and facilities (bathtub 1.10 m x 1.90 m, wi-fi free of charge, flat display TV set, a power point for I-Pod recharging...).
A vast reception hall with day lounge (180 m2) and cocktail bar (150 m2).
Spa, sauna, business center and conference room with a capacity of 35 seats.
3 managers: Alain Dhersin, Chantal de Knyff and their daughter Cecile, backed by a team of 10 staff.
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