Impressive architecture using glass in oversized formats can also be found beyond the metropolises – an example of this is the new "Wagner Design Lab" of the seating furniture manufacturer Wagner in Langenneufnach (Bavaria, Germany).
On its slim steel supports the showroom appears like a floating stage. This impression is also enhanced by the two 120 square meter glass façades on the long sides, each consisting of only two insulation glass panes. At around 20 meters in length these are the largest glass panes ever used in construction worldwide.
Design and architecture in harmony: the Wagner Design Lab of the seating furniture manufacturer Topstar/Wagner (in Langenneufnach near Augsburg) is a design laboratory and showroom for chairs and other furniture. The concept of the architect Titus Bernhard (Augsburg): a cuboid built on top of the former home of the Wagner family, the two opposing long sides of which make it look completely open due to the size of the glass panes.
This highlight originates from the direct neighborhood: the glass processor sedak (Gersthofen) produced four triple insulation glass panes for the new showroom, each with a size of 3.04 x 19.21 meters. The glass panes are constructed from a double thermally toughened glass laminate with a heat-protection coating and an SG interlayer. This creates two areas of glass of 117 square meters – each with only a single joint.
The Wagner Design Lab is the first construction worldwide with glass in this oversized format. "Iconic buildings with large glass areas have so far mostly been realized in the USA, Arabia and other parts of Asia. We are delighted that we are now getting increasing numbers of inquiries from closer to home", said Bernhard Veh, Managing Director of sedak, "and now even in the direct neighborhood of our headquarters". Following the Trade Fair Tower in Frankfurt with 17 meter glass panes, the showroom is the second project within a short time in which oversized glass has been used for construction in Germany.
Neighborly symbiosis
The project came to life in a close partnership between the companies under the maxim "achieving big things together". With the Design Lab, Wagner demonstrates impressively that the power of joint innovation can lead to exceptional results. The two groundbreaking medium-sized companies are not only united through the proximity of their locations: "With mutual vision and courage, companies can create big things together", explained Peter Wagner, Managing Director and co-owner of the furniture manufacturer, "here in two senses – the big glass panes are representative of the big idea behind the project". The glass façades and the furniture on display thereby enter into a harmonious relationship with each other. The high transparency of the façade creates a feeling of exclusivity and maximum openness – this impression also reflects on the furniture and emphasizes the quality standard of Wagner.
The installation of the glass panes in the façade in March 2020 is an important milestone – the opening of the showroom is planned for this summer
