Curtain wall with composite cavity slats

Carbon is an enormously powerful product that can be used for many applications. The facade of INHolland in Delft is a great example. For this unique project 10 years ago, Prince Fibre manufactured and supplied the aramid cavity cables, cavity slats and carbon fiber lining. We spoke with engineer Jordy van Nimwegen who proudly worked on this unique project last decade. Still, this façade, which was created in collaboration with technical manufacturing company Octatube, is a beautiful, innovative solution in the land of curtain walls. The result was an innovative, highly sleek and powerful facade that the world had never known before!

A glass cavity with composite cables; this is a solution that was ahead of its time 10 years ago. How was this 30-meter-high facade developed that it is optimally resistant to wind loads? The supporting action is designed so that the vertical cables located in the cavity glass act like a sail. That means the facade can move back and forth up to 30 centimeters under horizontal wind loads. The cables located in the glass are made of aramid. The lining in the glass and the cavity slats consist of carbon. This is a very special solution to achieve an extremely slim facade.

The ideas for the facade originally came from the Composites Laboratory at INHolland University of Applied Sciences. The special feature of the facade is that the main load-bearing structure is virtually invisible visually. The glass-composite facade is completely flat on both sides thanks to our composite tubes placed in the cavity of the insulation windows. The thickness of the glass panels is 54 millimeters, making INHolland’s facade the slimmest glass-composite facade in the world.

The entrance to INHolland consists of three facades, one of which was actually realized in this way. This is a highly innovative and experimental project that the college is also using in teaching and research. The remaining two facades were done with a slightly simpler design, with the composite cables located directly behind the glass rather than in it.

We are known for our innovative and unique composite profiles. Customer-specific assignments are the norm for us! Our professional products are capable of delivering exceptional projects. Do you also have a unique project where you could use Prince Fibre’s help? If so, please be sure to contact us. Our specialists will be happy to assist you.