Touza Arquitectos chose an avant-garde design, using the latest generation materials such as Krion® to create a building which transmits the innovation values and constant evolution of the 3M Company.
This spectacular façade was achieved with a Krion® ventilated façade with a double skin system. Moreover, the building’s interior also uses Krion® for some pieces of furniture and different decorative elements.
One of 3M’s demands for the new Innovation Centre in Spain, when planning this project, was to include the use of the company’s materials and projects. Therefore, new tailored building techniques and products from other areas of the field such as building materials were required.
In this sense, double-sided VHB tape by 3M was used to fix the Krion® to the façade instead of the normal mechanical means. The system’s safety and strength was verified by means of strict testing processes and trials of the wind tunnel which has also aided 3M to expand their products application scope.
The building’s elegance, defined by straight and curvy lines, is completed with cantilevers and other elements, creating an intriguing play of volumes. Regarding decoration, geometric shapes were perforated into the Krion®, which simulates the shape of the continents and symbolises 3M’s worldwide presence.
Photos: Rafael Navarro