The perfect wave
The G3 Shopping resort Gerasdorf has been awarded the SOLID Bautechpreis 2013 for its sensational timber roof construction.
Vienna, 25.4.2013 – The SOLID Bautechpreis 2013 was presented in the historic Wiener Postsparkasse building in the presence of around 120 guests from the building industry. The newly completed G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf was named best project in the category for small and middle-sized companies. The timber building company Graf-Holztechnik received the main prize. In making the award the jury cited the high degree of innovation and impressive realization of the extraordinary technical achievement.
G3 was integrally designed by ATP Vienna. The complex structural design for the rolling roof structure by Gustav Trefil and his team (ATP Vienna) is a response to the unusual combination of materials which includes timber, steel, reinforce concrete and concrete. The idea behind the design is that the materials work together and each is employed in positions best suited to its particular qualities.
The building shelters under a "floating" 20.000 m2 multifunctional wave-formed element which meets a number of special structural requirements and is part of a timber roof landscape measuring a total of six hectares. The structure is supported by around 700 reinforced concrete columns with a height of up to 20 meters and y-formed steel “tree-shaped” columns. One particular challenge of the structural design was that neither any column nor any laminated timber beam (which reach up to 80 meters in length) occurs more than twice. This complex approach demanded extensive experience of timber, reinforced concrete and concrete construction.
The design process placed great emphasis on the external appearance. The structural calculations were carried out on various models and the complicated spatial geometry (the building has hardly a single right angle) also required perfect detailing. The design also took into account the need for adequate tolerance during the construction phase. All such information was passed on to the executing company, Graf-Holztechnik, in the form of program files.
During construction, G3 was the largest timber building site in Europe to be built in a single phase. The extensive roof will also be home to a 3.000 m2 bird and insect habitat. G3 was the first shopping center in Austria to be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment. During construction it was named as a klima:aktiv mobile project partner and it is seeking BREEAM certification.
