Peek & Cloppenburg Chemnitz
An exterior architectural precedent showcasing a dramatic curved structural glass facade that bridges historic and modern urban contexts while activating a public plaza.
- What we like about this project
- The soft organic curve of the glass roof contrasts sharply with the rigid orthogonality of the flanking historic stone buildings.
Materials
- glass
- steel
- stone
- masonry
Visual identifiers
- curved-glass-facade
- transparent-atrium
- ribbed-structure
- public-plaza
Style tags
- contemporary
- high-tech
- commercial
- transparent
Visual tags
- commercial
- retail
- curtain-wall
- urban-context
- transparency
- public-realm
- Geometry
- A large-span curved structural glass roof and curtain wall anchors a multi-story retail volume, framed by historic masonry structures on either side.
- Facade system
- Curved structural glass curtain wall with exposed steel or aluminum ribs.
- Structural guess
- Steel frame with long-span curved roof trusses and lateral glass stabilizing fins.
- Spatial scale
- Large multi-story retail volume fronting a wide public pedestrian plaza, with human figures providing direct scale reference.
- Lighting
- Bright midday daylight with soft shadows, highlighting the curved ribs of the glass facade.
- Atmosphere
- Open, luminous, and engaging civic retail edge.
- Environmental context
- Urban cobblestone public square flanked by historical masonry architecture and distant modern housing blocks.
- Spatial experience
- The building opens up towards the public plaza, pulling views inside through a grand transparent multi-story atrium.
- Composition rhythm
- Vertical glass mullions match the curve of the roof frame, creating a sweeping rhythmic progression across the facade.
- Style reading
- Contemporary structural glass architecture integrated within historic urban fabric
- Program
- Retail department store (Peek & Cloppenburg)
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture
- Materials
- glass, steel, stone, masonry
- Visual identifiers
- curved-glass-facade, transparent-atrium, ribbed-structure, public-plaza
- Style tags
- contemporary, high-tech, commercial, transparent
- Visual tags
- commercial, retail, curtain-wall, urban-context, transparency, public-realm
- Geometry
- A large-span curved structural glass roof and curtain wall anchors a multi-story retail volume, framed by historic masonry structures on either side.
- Facade system
- Curved structural glass curtain wall with exposed steel or aluminum ribs.
- Structural guess
- Steel frame with long-span curved roof trusses and lateral glass stabilizing fins.
- Spatial scale
- Large multi-story retail volume fronting a wide public pedestrian plaza, with human figures providing direct scale reference.
- Lighting
- Bright midday daylight with soft shadows, highlighting the curved ribs of the glass facade.
- Atmosphere
- Open, luminous, and engaging civic retail edge.
- Environmental context
- Urban cobblestone public square flanked by historical masonry architecture and distant modern housing blocks.
- Spatial experience
- The building opens up towards the public plaza, pulling views inside through a grand transparent multi-story atrium.
- Composition rhythm
- Vertical glass mullions match the curve of the roof frame, creating a sweeping rhythmic progression across the facade.
- Style reading
- Contemporary structural glass architecture integrated within historic urban fabric
- Program
- Retail department store (Peek & Cloppenburg)
- Perspective
- Exterior Facade
- Discipline
- architecture