Installation of the facade at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe completed
After several years of planning and construction, the facade of the Federal Court of Justice has been fully installed. As early as 2021, DUCON secured the contract to manufacture the prefabricated facade components and delivered the first test panels the following year, initially only for the mockup. The complex installation of the exterior shell is now complete.
The requirements were clearly defined. The original appearance of the facade, which is a protected historic monument, had to be preserved. At the same time, high protection requirements were imposed on certain sections. DUCON was able to meet both requirements.
The two main facades together have a total area of approximately 1,370 m² (14,700 SF), of which about 780 m² (8,400 SF) is made of DUCON. Thanks to high repetition rates and efficient production at Schwab-Stein, the prefabricated components were produced quickly, ensuring they were ready for delivery on time. The installation of the 386 DUCON elements and 160 windows presented certain challenges due to tight tolerances and limited space. The construction company was able to overcome this challenge. The facade has now been fully installed and approved, and has already earned high praise from the client.
The use of the thin DUCON elements demonstrated that requirements for protection against external threats are not at odds with the freedom to design the building’s appearance. With a component thickness of just 10 cm (4 in), the prefabricated parts are thinner than some facades that lack a protective function.
