52 Degrees Tower

52 Degrees 800x800
Nijmegen
Netherlands

52 degrees is an impressive 86-meter tower in Nijmegen. The challenge: how do you insulate more than 10,000 m² of roof surface with no connection to the municipal sewer system? FOAMGLAS® compact roof system turned out to be the safest, most sustainable solution thanks to its watertight insulation.

Architect
Mecanoo architecten, Delft
Year
2006
Application
Flat Roof and Compact Green Roof

More than 10,000 m² of roof and no connection to the municipal water drainage system. This was just one of the challenges facing the design team for this new building for Philips Semi-conductors in Nijmegen. The 86-meter, 17 floor tower, with its name referring to the 52-degrees north latitude of its location, was designed by Mecanoo Architecten in Delft.

Due to the surface area of its façade this   high-rise construction of this produces significant rain catchment upon the adjacent roofs. Calculations showed a requirement for the removal of 25 mm of precipitation per m². Fortunately, the special drainage/buffer layer within the 6,800 m² grass roof allows buffering for 40% of this rainwater. The remaining 60% of the rainwater is collected within gravel encasements at the base of the roof, allowing delayed soak-away into the ground.

At first, the use of a loose laid insulation system with a loose roof covering was considered for the construction. However with the expected intensive pedestrian use of this roof, there was a risk of damage due to the loose insulation moving, and the paved surface then cracking. The most reliable and sustainable solution was chosen.  The FOAMGLAS® roof system, features a vapour tight and watertight insulation which does not compress under load. The waterproofing membranes are fully bonded to the insulation system.

FOAMGLAS® solution

used in this project

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