Solarlux SL 45 folding glass door: Community(-)building project

Prior to the renewal of Barbing Church Square, a municipality in the Upper Palatinate district of Regensburg in Bavaria, architects all across Europe were invited to tender for the redevelopment of the old village centre. Their priorities were the structure of the square, a stage and a wood-fired oven.

Using just a few well-placed concepts, the project group managed to provide orientation and create identification. The "simple, functional, rustic design arose out of the need for multifunctionality," says querluft architekten. The old dairy that had been in the church square was replaced by a new multifunctional structure, serving as store and pavilion for village fairs. A wide seating step spanning two sides of the building provides a meeting place for young people. The robust street and square hardscaping with asphalt surface arose out of the use of the space as a market square and fairground as well as a general meeting point and car park for church occasions. A wall with seating and the required oven – structuring the space and framing the square – was built on the aspect facing the nearby Danube. It terminates with a pergola for smaller events, which is over-grown with vines.

The newly erected building is positioned at the wayside cross at the far corner of the square as a counterpoint to the parish church. Two sides of the cuboid structure are fitted with ceiling-height folding elements, which can be opened out fully. They instantly transform the closed off-looking storehouse into a light, roofed stage, which is visible to a large audience. This large-format SL 45 folding glass door from the market-leading system developer and manufacturer Solarlux consists of one six-part and one five-part construction with panel widths of between 80 and 87 centimetres. On the long side, the elements can be opened 4.75 metres, while on the short side the opening width is 4.30 metres. Not only the individual panels, but the corner profile, too, can be slid to the side, completely opening up the two sides. The panels are neatly parked at the side of the space. Thus the interior flows seamlessly into the exterior, creating a strong connection between the stage and the surrounding square. For this special project, the folding doors were fitted with sheets of copper rather than the usual panes of glass. Closed, the fold-ing doors do not allow anybody to see into the store. The powder-coated profiles and hinges were done to match the colour of the sheets of copper.