Case Study
The whitest Dekton adds visual appeal and rhythm to the façade of an office building in Munich
Mayer Rettenmaier Architekten GbR
Location
Munich (Germany)
Material
Dekton
Application
Interior wall and façade cladding
Quantity
620 m2
Architecture/Design
Mayer Rettenmaier Architekten GbR
Colour
Uyuni, Natura
Thickness: 8 mm
12 mm
End date
2023
It is commonly found in worktops, barbecues, fireplaces, flooring, shower trays, washbasins and sinks. And, increasingly, in the cladding of interior and exterior walls. We are talking about Dekton, Cosentino’s ultra-compact and completely sustainable stone, which more and more architects and designers are choosing to clad the most demanding façades.
This is the case, for example, in one of the most striking office buildings on Rüdesheimer Straße in Munich (Germany). Here, Mayer Rettenmaier Architekten created an attractive façade using 12 mm thick Dekton Uyuni panels combined with copper-coloured anodised expanded metal panels.
Uyuni, the most crystalline white in the Dekton range
These panels of extraordinary white, whose powerful tones are inspired by one of Bolivia’s most iconic natural salt flats, epitomise the very essence of purity and vastness thanks to their cold, crystalline hues, opening up new design possibilities for innovative spaces such as this.
“In many of our office buildings, we use white on the façade,” say the project’s clients. “We chose the whitest white in the Dekton colour range, Uyuni, to contrast with the adjacent façade features, such as the copper-coloured anodised expanded metal panels, and to highlight the anthracite-coloured areas. And last but not least, because we associate the colour white with simplicity, joy, cleanliness, and clarity,” they add.
Therefore, the Dekton Uyuni panels are used to clad the area between one row of windows and the next, with a clear objective: “These horizontal bands create a visual effect of ‘stretching’ the façade, which is what we wanted,” explains the studio.
Dekton: a material that remains unaltered by the elements
“We have installed many types of façade materials: glass, ceramic, natural stone, aluminium composite, fibre cement and many more. But we wanted to try something new, a material we didn’t know, yet we had confidence in. So we started looking, and after a lot of research we found Dekton,” recalls the experienced company.
“The most important thing for us was to find a material that would remain unaltered by the elements, i.e. robust enough to withstand the chemical effects of daily precipitation without losing its colour fastness over time,” continues Mayer Rettenmaier Architekten. Dekton is perfect in this respect, as it is highly resistant to UV rays, freezing, thawing, water and snow... even fire and abrasion.
This ultra-compact stone is also impervious to stains, which means it is easy to wash, even if it has been graffitied. Scratches will also not affect the colour, which will remain consistent for many years to come, thanks to the 25-year warranty.
However, to make it easier to handle during installation, it was also essential for the professionals that the cladding was lightweight. This requirement was also met by using the 250 x 80 cm Dekton panels.
Dekton, also featured prominently in the interior cladding
In fact, this prestigious colour, which replicates the quintessential marble style with a glossy finish, is used to clad the wall housing the lifts, making the ultra-compact Cosentino stone a key feature of the building’s interior as well.
“As the Dekton Uyuni panels used for the exterior façade were highly appreciated by both us as architects and our client, the decision to use Dekton for the back wall cladding of the staircase, especially with the polished Natura surface, was straightforward,” adds Mayer Rettenmaier Architekten.