bi-folding doors, highlights that are a cut above the rest

The initial idea for a bi-folding door from Solarlux was drafted on a beer mat in 1983. Now, the bi-folding doors from the German town of Melle are being installed in several  residential towers that are currently under construction on the grounds of the former Carlsberg Brewery in the heart of Copenhagen. Coincidence? Not necessarily. Because the product development for the ambitious project required precisely the lively innovative strength that marked the beginning of Solarlux back then. 

By 2024, a new quarter will be built on the former site of the Carlsberg brewery in the middle of Copenhagen: Carlsberg Byen – a lively mix of living, working, culture and entertainment. New residential towers are being built in the immediate vicinity of the Carlsberg Fyrtårn, as the small lighthouse from 1883 is called in Danish. These include the Pasteur Tower, which will be the highest building in Copenhagen, at 120 metres. Together with the Bohrs Tower and the Dahlerups Tower, it will dramatically alter Copenhagen’s skyline. 

During the planning process, particular emphasis was placed on preserving the existing building fabric. The objective: to keep the pioneering spirit and productive energy of the founding fathers alive, transform them like the site and continue them into the future.  The architecture of every high-rise building is a response to the buildings that already exist in its area. This prevents them seeming out of place in an established neighbourhood.

The facades of all the residential towers can be opened up, right to the top floors. In the Bohrs Tower, French balconies create space and a relationship to the surrounding buildings. 

Pergolas in the Dahlerups Tower: The glass panes of the large window openings can be fully opened. The panels can be compactly “parked” at one side of the opening. But do the glass bi-folding doors also meet the extremely high requirements for water tightness?

Due to the unprotected facades at a height of up to 120 metres, a water tightness of up to 1,200 Pa (Pascals) was required in accordance with DIN EN 12208. The highest class, 9A for unprotected windows and doors, requires 600 Pa – which is equivalent to rain being driven against the building at wind force 11.

Solarlux accepted the challenge. Our research department developed a three-panel bi-folding door, based on the Highline system. The prototype was then put through our in-house test station, along with the construction joints. Once the required 1,200 Pa had been achieved, the engineers took the test up a notch, and the system even withstood the new level of 1,350 Pa.