The façade tells the Rockpanel story.
"It is more than just a façade. it is the showpiece for rockpanel’s unique product. expressive, but without a cacophony of colours and shapes. at the same time reticent. i wanted to make something that would subtly persuade others to use this material.” Architect Luc Nooijen of Architecten aan de Maas on the façade that he designed for the Rockpanel shop in Roermond.

“In order to represent the advantages of Rockpanel in the façade, I went on the hunt for a theme. I found that theme in the Rockpanel production process, during a guided tour of the factories. The first part of the production process really fired up my imagination. The heating and melting of the basalt and then the spinning of the rock wool threads into a woollen blanket. You see the liquid substance fly off the spinning wheels and coagulate into stone threads. A fascinating image that has never left me.

Projectoverview:

Project:

Façade Rockpanel (Roermond, NL)
Architect:

Architekten aan de Maas (Maastricht, NL)
Products:250 m² Rockpanel Woods Erle
200 m² Rockpanel Metallics Anthrazitgrau
30 m² Rockpanel Ply

Fixing:Screws
Glue (Rockpanel Tack)

Detail:Download the detail of the facade

Lamination

“I symbolised of the heating and spinning in the lamination of the façade. To create tension I gave the uppermost, grey layer an open character. The interaction of light gives the façade a different look at different times of the day. During the day the grey layer is very visible. In the evening the grey merges into the night and the orange layer comes to the fore. The orange symbolises the glowing rock wool threads and is accentuated by the lighting incorporated behind the grey layer. The façade creates a nice contrast between the production halls and the offices. The brick wall, which used to be there hidden behind the facade, contained a few holes that I have emphasised by placing frames around them. From there a real building emerged.”

Significance

"If you stand close to the surface, you see a beautiful facade. Go one layer deeper, and you will discover the qualities and application possibilities of Rockpanel. The façade illustrates that Rockpanel plate material can be manipulated in all sorts of ways. And finally, the third layer hides the Rockpanel production process in the façade. I was able to use this product to create a perfectly graphic representation of the production process. That’s what is special about it. The façade tells the Rockpanel story.”

Permanent

“When I’m in the area, I always drive by the building. What strikes me every time is the permanency of the façade. It is as new and unblemished as when it was made. This stability of colour and form is a characteristic of Rockpanel that must surely appeal to many architects. In addition, Rockpanel does not look artificial. It has a powerful, spectacular look.”