Edition 01 | 2011 · 2012-10-09 · Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of modern book printing using...

newsEdition 01 | 2011

RECKLI news

The „Gutenberghöfe“ in Heidelberg

News_01_2011_GB.QXD:Ausgabe 13 14.01.2011 15:31 Uhr Seite 1

Reminiscence cast in concreteThe „Gutenberghöfe“ in Heidelberg

The area on which the company Heidelberger Druck ma -

schinen AG once built high-precision machines for printing

and from where they managed the global group, counts

almost 13.300 m². However, by now 300 citizens of

Heidelberg live on the bigger part of 8.400 m². With the

acquisition of the estate in 2005, the project development of

the company HOCHTIEF in cooperation with the city of

Heidelberg effected a change of use, creating a residential

area. The architect’s office ap88, located in Heidelberg, won

the competition announced in this context.

Façade House A-C / North sight


The architect’s office conceived a complex of build-

ings with 13 houses and about 170 individual units.

These buildings were supposed to form a sort of

border around a closed inner courtyard which itself

should be structured in several smaller atriums by

the arrangement of four further single buildings.

Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of modern book

printing using movable type printing and the printing

press, and the company Heidelberger Druck ma -

schinen AG, the former owner of the area, are his-

torically intrinsically tied to each other. Thus, it is

quite obvious to remind this historical important

combination, creating a lasting memory and an

identification with the new accommodation for the

residents.

Detail Façade House C

newsNews_01_2011_GB.QXD:Ausgabe 13 14.01.2011 15:32 Uhr Seite 3

Each of the 13 houses is named after a well-known

typeface. Thus, the buildings now bear names like

Helvetica, Nimbus or Avenir.

Apart from this, there is another direct optical indi-

cation on two street-façades of the residence. The

portrait of Gutenberg is shown as a 6,72 x 5,06 m

relief on the exposed concrete panels of the façade.

The architect’s office originally conceived a portrait

made of a unique big plate. However, due to rea-

sons related to transport, this idea was replaced by

creating a relief realized on three or four exposed

concrete panels, depending on the side of street.

The technical conversion of Gutenberg’s portrait

was realized by the help of the Photo-Engraving

Technology of the company RECKLI. This tech-

nique, being on the market for many years and

already used in numerous objects, is a computer-

based method for transferring image data onto

sheet materials by means of milling technology. For

this, first of all an image template is scanned and

converted in 256 grey scales. Each grey scale is

defined by a cutting width and a cutting depth. In

order to transfer the image onto the sheet material,

a machining file is generated from the identified grey

values, whereby the file includes milling commands

for a special CNC milling machine. The milled model

is then used as a master for casting the elastic

RECKLI®-Formliner. Depending on the resolution,

this formliner creates a smooth or raw relief-like

structure of surface on the concrete. By the move-

ment of the sun creating light and shadow, the

photo seems to be projected on the concrete

façade.

In order to combine the portrait harmonically with

the façade, all the other facing tiles used in the

ground floor have been equipped with the same

structure of V-shaped grooves, which forms the

basic structure of the Photo-Engraving Technique.

Original master illustration

Concrete element

Draft for the Photo-Engraved formliner


newsIn this way, an esthetically

appealing façade has been devel-

oped, on which the portrait of

Gutenberg does not directly

stand out as a solitaire picture.

The elements of exposed con-

crete were built by Zuber Beton -

werke in Crailsheim, a company

looking back on a history of 50

years and having specialized in

the fabrication of high quality ele-

ments of facing concrete. The

company also delivers special

parts needing a high precision in

concrete formwork and treatment

of concrete. This knowledge was

extremely useful in the realization

of the Gutenberghöfe. The staff of

Zuber Betonwerke cast and

assembled the portrait panels

with highest precision. Apart from

this, IfT, a sister company of

Zuber Betonwerke, was responsi-

ble for the planning of the bearing

structure and thus calculated the

whole static of the façade.

The result is a very

successful example of

exposed concrete.


newsNews_01_2011_GB.QXD:Ausgabe 13 14.01.2011 15:34 Uhr Seite 7

Object: Gutenberghöfe, Heidelberg

Constructor: HOCHTIEF Projektentwicklung GmbH

Architect: ap88 Architektenpartnerschaft Bellm-Löffel-Lubs-Trager, Heidelberg

RECKLI-Formliner: Photo-Engraving Technique

Facing concrete elements: Zuber Betonwerke, Crailsheim

RECKLI GmbH

Eschstrasse 30 · 44629 Herne · Germany

Tel. +49 2323 1706-0 · Fax +49 2323 1706-50

[email protected] · www.reckli.de


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