School complex in Switzerland. A facade made of colored glass for a modern School

The school complex in Horw, in the Swiss canton of Lucerne, was designed by the Swiss studio Lussi + Partner AG Architekten, which opted for a vibrant design, through the use of colored glass facades, without neglecting modern technology, with the use of an innovative system that would reduce the thickness

In 2013, two-thirds of the population of Horw voted in favor of modernizing the school complex, considering the building from the 1970s to be obsolete and was dismantled to its foundations. Through a competition, the associated Lussi studio, in collaboration with Halter, won the competition in 2013, creating a completely different project

For the façade, the architects expressed the desire to create a curtain wall, covering a total of 3,400 m², with a double-skin glass structure, creating a rhythm with alternating colored glass. A WICONA Wtec Modul air façade was chosen to show how its large but slender elements and narrow visible widths give it an elegant design

The Witec Modul air by Horw was designed as a curtain wall of elements with aeration to protrude outward and inner parapet. The aluminum profiles have been designed and manufactured specifically for this building, consisting of perimeter frames with high thermal insulation with extruded pilaster strips. The triple glazing inside and the single glazing outside are housed in the frame in a single profile. This system is characterized by its compact architecture, which can reduce construction depth by up to 50 percent compared to conventional double façades

The elements of the Horw façade are a special optical feature: they are opaque on the outside, but transparent on the inside, allowing you to see outside. The special fabric used for this purpose is made of black metallic plastic fibres. The glass was laminated with three different colored fabrics to be used in the façade elements. This spectrum of colors and the positioning of the opaque elements on the façade give the glass a special effect and a play of light

A lively architecture, designed to protect and make a public space safe, in this case, however, the high technology does not prohibit the playful use of high-performance materials that instead perfectly follow the concept demanded by the client: a functional space for the little ones