Lamella Facade

Lamella Facade

2025
Bassersdorf, Switzerland

An escape stair tower turned into a demonstration facade. Horizontal sheet metal lamellae with individually shaped edges together form the silhouette of a mountain range.

From a distance, the image reads as landscape. Up close, the system is visible: each lamella is one laser-cut part whose profile and shadow create the depth.

The cladding covers two sides of the stair tower and sets a clear contrast to the triangular facade of the main building.

Challenge & Solution

Challenge

Escape stair towers are functional necessities, rarely treated as a design opportunity. The task: a facade system that carries a clearly readable image without becoming hard to build.

Solution

A mountain photograph goes in as the input. Pixel brightness decides how far the matching lamella protrudes, and the silhouette emerges from that. Every lamella is a single sheet metal part with one bend. No custom pieces. Standard fabrication.

Gallery

Scope

Algorithm, production files, detail design, and coordination through installation.

Technologies

Parametric DesignLaser CuttingSheet Metal

Outcomes

  • A purely functional stair tower carries a readable architectural image

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