Statement of the Jury

The first prize in the projects category was awarded to the membrane façade of the testing tower for elevators in Rottweil. The jury pays tribute to the extraordinary mesh façade realized within a very short time thanks to the detailed installation-planning. Design and manufacturing of the mobile assembly platform was an interdisciplinary and highly sophisticated task due to the mechanical engineering. The built surface transfers the architects’ courageous design into reality and thus contributes to the tower’s impressive aesthetics. The membrane’s distinct spiral shape improves the tower’s structural performance under heavy wind loads (Scruton effect) and the shading of the concrete core by the textile minimizes the thermal differences. Both contribute to saving concrete for the tower core’s walls and, therefore, to the reduction of emissions during production (CO₂) and to the amount of waste at the end of the material’s life cycle. Like hardly any other tensile structure, this façade shows the potential of membranes when it comes to reducing the masses and the sustainability. Ultimately, this project shows that the implementation of a visionary architect's design always requires an industrial company that also faces new and demanding tasks.