PTT Binnenrotte, Rotterdam (Netherlands)
The former administration building for the Dutch telecommunications company PTT, which dates from 1951, consists of a mighty four-storey concrete-framed building with a brickwork façade. Orange Architects revitalised the building by converting it into studio apartments with a restaurant on the ground floor.
An almost full-surface PV system with an expected energy yield of 56,000 kWh was integrated into the southern gable roof. The rather small-format modules with a homogeneous appearance in a dark matt colour are used as roof cladding. To adapt to structural irregularities, the glass shingles were specially cut to size at the lateral roof edges.
The eaves-side incisions are precise and colour-coordinated with the joint grid.
The result shows how photovoltaics as a modern energy technology can, when well-designed, also provide a compelling solution for conversions and extensions in the urban realm. The anthracite-coloured modules provide a restrained accent that harmonises with and complements the exposed brickwork.
The project received an honorary mention by the jury of the “Architecture Award Building-Integrated Solar Technology 2022“.
Projekt Partners
Architect: Orange Architects
PVmodules: Wienerberger
Get an Overview of the series Solar architecture at its best – Excellent projects from the Architecture Award Building Integrated Solar Technology 2022 introduced briefly“
About the Architecture Award Building Integrated Solar Technology
The “Architecture Award Building-Integrated Solar Technology“ was started in the year 2000 by the Solarenergieförderverein Bayern (Bavarian Association for the Promotion of Solar Energy) and held since then for the 9th time. The award is established as an international competition concerning the interface between architecture and solar energy. The prize honors exemplary contributions of planning and designing building-integrated solar systems.
In the last edition of the competition the jury singled out 15 projects from 121 entries, which we want to present in a series. The jury was unanimous in its positive assessment that even with very different building tasks, and in different environments, these projects show that photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors can be successfully integrated with equal ambition in terms of design and technology.
