Central Train Station
Münster Central Train Station shining in a new light
With around 68,000 visitors and passengers every day, Münster Central Train Station is one of northern Germany’s biggest transport hubs. In the newly-built entrance hall, the train station building presents itself in a modern way, flooded with light. A long glass facade up to twelve metres high facing the town centre impresses onlookers, and a 110-metre long glass roof stretching over the entrance hall is yet another particularly impressively eye-catching feature.
The glass panels for the striking new-build were made by the ISOLAR® Partner Hunsrücker Glasveredelung Wagener GmbH & Co. KG in Kirchberg. The Kirchberg company also handled the metalwork for the project. Planning, delivery of the glass, design and implementation – all from a single source, leading to a Special Award in the Property Competition at the ISOLAR® Group Annual Conference 2018.
Implementing the new entrance to Münster Central Train Station posed several challenges for those involved in the project: The site managers wanted a visually unified, flowing facade. At the same time, the facade glazing had to meet the very highest safety requirements with regard to personal safety, and also deliver a high level of sun protection. But it wasn’t just the products used which faced considerable challenges: “The logistics alone were a real challenge because of the cramped location of the train station right beside the heart of the town centre”, is how Bojan Gvozdarevic, Head of Metalwork in Kirchberg, describes the project. The high level of passenger traffic every day and the high number of people using the building for access didn’t make implementation any less complicated.
However, the results are very clear: The new-build integrates wonderfully well with the existing old structure from the 1950’s, and provides access to all other parts of the building via a generous central hall. With its consistent modernity, the new-build creates a clear contrast to the brick-built, punctuated facade of the old building. The train station building now faces the town centre with a glass facade almost 150 metres long, with generous, sweeping curves. ISOLAR SOLARLUX® A40 solar protection glass was used, which delivers both a high level of sun protection, yet also allows lots of light into the building.
The roof – 110 metres long and 4.1 metres wide – was also fitted with ISOLAR SOLARLUX® A40. The East Facade, facing the platforms and fitted with ISOLAR SOLARLUX® A5O also presents a colour coordinated face to waiting passengers, with both flat and curved panes. The windows in the existing building were replaced and fitted with silver ISOLAR SOLARLUX®.
The results of the metalwork are also extremely impressive: At the heart of the design, the central hall was executed with a post and beam facade in the area around the shops and offices. This merges into a large-format glass/steel facade towards the platforms. However you can only identify this transition by the larger pane format of up to 2.8 x 2.8 metres. But the most spectacular, eye-catching feature is the glass roof, which consists of a 108 metre long, flowing post and beam glass facade, as well as the integrated, existing building, connected at the side and with window openings.
The new building means that train passengers now have almost twice as much space at their disposal than before. According to information from Deutsche Bahn railway company, this is the biggest new build of its kind for years, with an investment of around 76 million Euro.
The ISOLAR® Group recognised Hunsrücker Glasveredelung Wagener GmbH & Co. KG in Kirchberg for the implementation of this impressive structure in the competition “Building 2017” with a Special Award.
Project Facts & Figures
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Building: |
Münster Central Train Station New Build |
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Client: |
DB Station & Service, Washingtonplatz 2; 10557 Berlin |
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Construction management: |
DB Station & Service, Building Management and Planning, Berlin |
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Glass facade: |
Large-format glass design in ISOLAR SOLARLUX® A50, ISOLAR SOLARLUX® A40, ISOLAR SOLARLUX® A50 curved, ISOLAR SOLARLUX® super neutral 51.28 curved, ISOLAR SOLARLUX® silver; Exterior: 108 m long canopy; Interior; Glass roof with curved glazing: Length 110 m / width 4.5 m |
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Metalwork: |
Hunsrücker Glasveredelung Wagener GmbH & Co.KG, Otto-Hahn-Str. 1, 55481 Kirchberg |
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Insulating glass manufacturer: |
Hunsrücker Glasveredelung Wagener GmbH & Co.KG, Otto-Hahn-Str. 1, 55481 Kirchberg |