Planning a Refined Carcass Structure - Economical, Functionally Neutral and Robust

Successful cost-efficient construction relies not only upon technical and constructional efficiency but also on the consideration of the expected lifetime of the building. The study of commercial and industrial buildings built in the late 1800s and early 1900s clearly demonstrates the adaptability and longevity of functionally neutral buildings with simple, solid structural systems. Constructional stability was a fundamental element, from the very beginning of the design process, for the UFO loft and commercial development in Frankfurt am Main-Fechenheim. The building, which won this year’s Detail Prize, has become a recognised object in itself. The synthesis of architectural and static concepts is, however, only truly sustainable and cost-efficient in a strict, uncompromising form such as this.