exemplum - Röben Tonbaustoffe GmbH

EXEMPLUM 

Court house in Katowice (PL) 

Röben ceramic clinker FARO grey nuanced, smooth 

1

EXEMPLUM

Dear reader! 

You have in your hands the 

latest edition of our Exemplum. 

We would like to illustrate the 

technical design of the relevant 

façade structures by using detailled 

drawings and descriptions 

and therefore be more 

persuasive than ever before. For 

example, with the residential 

complex in Swiss Döttingen 

where the Röben clinker brick 

RYSUM flashed-variegated was 

used. In order to achieve a fast 

and structurally safe façade 

construction, a precise concept 

was developed in close collaboration 

between the architects 

and Röben Planning Service 

which also included individual, 

customised, pre-fabricated 

lintels as well as special solutions 

for the projecting pillars. 

That there are differences in clinker 

bricks is pretty self-evident. 

But did you know that we have 

around 150 different bricks in 

our product range to transform 

your individual vision of architecture 

into reality? Nowadays, 

there is a very strong demand for 

our various architectural stones 

which we have put together 

from completely new compositions 

of tailored sorting grades 

and new firings. One successful 

example of this can be seen in 

the Lloyd Marina in Bremerhaven 

where the architects selected the 

WESTMINSTER sorting grade. 

The bricks are composed of a 

mixture of red and blue iridescent 

stones which create a lively 

effect on the façade thereby 

showcasing the high-quality character 

of the architecture. 

In addition to these special 

architectural sorting grades, 

we also occasionally incorporate 

variations of existing 

grades into our programme 

which have been developed 

individually. For example, the 

melting-blue-brown of the 

Röben clinker brick ACCUM, 

developed in collaboration with 

the architects of a supermarket 

in Oldenburg together with our 

planning service, in order to 

give the surface of a façade a 

clear "North German profile". 

However, the "original" bluebrown 

variation of the ACCUM 

ceramic brick with its dark 

interplay of colours was used 

in the new building of an old 

people's home in Bremen as a 

2DF format. 

The hand-moulded facing 

brick achieves a more rugged 

appearance. A successful translation 

into modern architectural 

terms can be seen in the office 

building in Frankfurt where the 

well-known Austrian architects 

Ortner & Ortner put their faith 

into the vibrancy of the Röben 

hand-moulded facing brick 

WIESMOOR in various shades 

of red. The same brick for the 

residential complex in Belgian 

Londerzeel in a coal-variegated 

colour impresses with its vibrant 

and lively interplay of 

colours. In nearby Rupelmonde, 

the planners selected the handmoulded 

facing brick WASSER- 

STRICH variegated-flashed to 

integrate the architecture into 

the provincial context. And in 

the social housing construction 

project in Hamburg, the handmoulded 

facing brick GEEST- 

BRAND variegated white achieved 

an expressive, high-quality 

overall impression. 

A brick with a quite deliberate 

uniform colour was, however, 

required in the new construction 

of the district court in 

Katowice, Poland. Around 

400,000 smooth Röben ceramic 

clinker bricks FARO 

grey-nuanced emphasise the 

representative character of the 

building. The same stone was 

used in designing a row of terraced 

houses in the Dutch city 

of Maastricht, but they were 

slightly recessed in sections and 

laid in an exposed fashion in 

order to create the impression 

of a relief. The architect of an 

extravagant villa in Kamperland 

in the Netherlands used a black 

version of our ceramic brick. 

We hope that you will find 

some interesting ideas for your 

own projects whilst reading the 

reports in our Exemplum and 

wish you pleasurable reading. 

Yours sincerely 

Wilhelm-Renke Röben 

3

Sweeping views from the first row 

Residential complex "Weser Loft" Bremerhaven 

Page 6 

Façade relief - 

Town apartments in Maastricht (NL) 

Page 14 

Black villa on the lake - 

Detached house in Kamperland, NL 

Page 26 

Care facilities are a focal point 

Senior citizens residential home Bremen-Arsten 

Page 40 

4 

Contents 

EXEMPLUM 

Close to the city and yet still affordable - 

Social housing construction in Hamburg 

Page 18 

Perfect combination - 

Residential complex in Döttingen (CH) 

Page 32 

Signal for a new departure - 

Court house in Katowice (PL) 

Page 44

Tone in Tone - 

Office building in Frankfurt/Main 

Page 54 

With a North German profile - 

Supermarket in Oldenburg 

Page 62 

New clinker brick shell for the old building - 

Renovation of a residential complex in Lübeck 

Page 70 

A house full of bridges - 

Maritimes Kompetenz-Zentrum in Leer 

Page 50 

New breath of life - 

Residential development in Rupelmonde (BE) 

Page 58 

Strongly contrasting connection - 

Residential complex in Londerzeel (BE) 

Page 66 

EXEMPLUMarchive 

Page 74 

The Röben Planning Service. 

for planers and architects 

Page 78 

Imprint 

Page 79 

5

Sweeping views 

first row 

6 

RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX 

‘WESER LOFT’ 

IN BREMERHAVEN 

With its innovative attractions such as the 

"Deutschen Auswanderhaus", the "Deutschen 

Schifffahrtsmuseum", the "Zoo am Meer" and 

the "Klimahaus 8° Ost", Bremerhaven attracts 

many visitors onto a cultural voyage of discovery. 

The LloydMarina Wohnungsbau GmbH 

has built three residential buildings with luxury 

apartments in the immediate surroundings. The

from the 

spectacular location in the first building line 

on the dyke, provides an unobstructed view 

across the Weser estuary and its sandbanks 

towards the west and on its eastern side the 

lively marina with its yachts and motor boats. 

"WeserLoft" is the name of the second of a 

total of three residential buildings which have 

just been completed. 17 loft apartments, which 

also includes maisonettes and two penthouses 

with living areas of between 85 - 165 square 

metres, are spread across the eight stories. The 

concrete skeleton construction does not have 

load-bearing masonry walls which allows for 

maximum flexibility in designing individual 

interiors and floor plans. 

7

8 

Combined with wood, steel 

and glass, the Röben architectural 

clinker brick presents its 

most attractive side.

Röben architectural clinker 

brick WESTMINSTER - 

vibrant interplay of colours 

and iridescent reflections. 

Harsh climates require 

special solutions 

From an urban planning point of 

view, the clinker brick creates an 

optical link for the various designs. 

The developer even 

brought highlights to the façade 

and selected the exclusive Röben 

architectural clinker brick 

WESTMINSTER; a brick which 

withstands and reflects the rapidly 

changing weather conditions. The 

red and blue-brown clinker bricks 

with their partially fire-sintered 

surfaces give the building an iridescent 

sheen on grey days. 

The exposed location on the coast 

and the great height of the building 

also additionally demands 

special solutions regarding the 

strong north-westerly prevailing 

winds which are as equal in 

strength as offshore conditions. 

Which means that the decision 

for a post-and-rail construction 

10 

for the windows was due to the 

excessive force of the wind. Ordinary 

window elements in the 

desired size could not have withstood 

such force. The thickness of 

the glass was also accordingly adjusted. 

The high requirement was 

not purely just for stability alone 

but also especially stands true for 

the building's wind resistance. 

Luxury living with 

maritime character 

Glass balustrades also guarantee 

that the residents have the best 

possible views across the Weser. 

To ensure that the balconies can 

be used as long as possible, 

they can be closed 

by using sliding glass elements. 

The large round windows at 

both ends of the building are of 

particular note as they give the 

impression of portholes thereby 

emphasising the maritime cha- 

racter. Overall, it gives the effect 

of a luxury liner's deck layout with 

a large bridge. 

In doing so, it stands on firm 

legs: In contrast to the gently curving 

façade of the upper floors, 

the ground floor is formed by a 

solid, severely rectangular "foundation" 

of WESTMINSTER clinker 

bricks where the spacious entrance 

hallway clad in marble as well 

as the utility supply systems can 

be found. 

The residents quite literally have 

the harbour, sea, culture and the 

town at their feet. For seamen 

and "being-seen-men", the perfect 

place to be. 

On the right: The landward side of 

the residential complex. 

Residential complex "Weser Loft" 

Bremerhaven 

Architects: 

JPS Joost, Philipps, Schulz 

Bremerhaven 

Photos: 

Antje Quiram, Stuttgart 

Röben architectural clinker brick 

WESTMINSTER 

Water absorption approx. 5 %

The Weser Loft by night. Even 

in artificial light the exclusive 

residential complex shows off 

one of its best sides. 

13

14 

TOWN APARTMENTS 

IN MAASTRICHT (NL) 

Façade 

Through the 1992 signed "Treaty of Maastricht", 

the town with its approximately 120,000 inhabitants 

is a symbol for the progressive unification 

of Europe at the same time. Around two kilometres 

further east of the historic centre, the 

new residential district of "Alde-gondapark" 

can be found. The development was designed 

according to plans by Bruls en Co and provides 

around one hundred residential units in different

elief 

variations which were all built in a light clinker 

brick architecture. From an architectural point 

of view, what stands out more than anything 

else is the row of terraced houses running in a 

north-south direction in the newly created access 

road Aldegondaplantsoen with 15 two-and-ahalf 

storeys, each with a recessed top floor and 

constructed as town apartments. The block was 

designed by the local Humblé Architecten and cre- 

ates an important focal point at the centre of the 

development through its clear, structured façade 

composition, whilst at the same time, also allowing 

an intelligent use of the floor space available. 

In order to create a free and unobstructed view 

across the bordering park in addition to direct 

access to the garden, the houses quite deliberately 

border the semi-private residential street on 

their garden side. 

15

The bay windows 

extend across 

two levels. 

16 

Ceramic clinker brick beside 

hand-moulded brick 

The front side of the house 

facing the park, however, can 

only be reached on foot or by 

bike. Here, directly next to the 

front door and beneath a small 

window on the second floor, the 

planners integrated a large-sized 

bay window covering two levels 

and which extends around a 

metre in front of the rest of the 

façade. The open structures with 

a large window area face the 

park, enabling a direct link to the 

outside world and simultaneously 

create an impressive, rhythmic, 

staggered structure and vitality 

to the entire row of terraces. 

The apartments can be shaded 

individually as the large-scale bay 

windows were fitted on-site with 

uniform aluminium lamella blinds 

which highlight the contemporary 

character of the apartments. 

All the façades in the row of terraced 

houses were constructed as 

cavity walls with 100 millimetre 

thick lime-sand brick walls as 

load-bearing walls; alternatively, 

in the bay window areas and with 

the window sills 100 millimetre 

thick pre-cast concrete sections 

were used. The facing bricks used 

for the front façade were Röben 

ceramic clinker brick FARO grey 

smooth in 190x90x90 millimetre 

large module formats. The gable 

and rear side of the houses were 

designed with a hand-moulded 

stone. The hollow cavity between 

the two shells were filled with a 

100 millimetre thick insulation as 

well as a 40 millimetre thick air 

layer for ventilation. 

Restrained, playful relief 

The Röben ceramic clinker bricks 

selected emphasise the urban 

character of the housing deve- 

lopment and also work in harmony 

with the dark-grey window 

frames and front doors", the 

architect Fred Humblé explains 

the choice of material. "With 

their bright and open appearance 

they blend the architecture into 

the surrounding parkland. "The 

façades of the houses also gain 

additional appeal through the unusual 

and sophisticated brickwork 

design which is almost continuously 

executed in stack bond with 

two stacked layers bricked directly 

above one another respectively. 

The joints designed in the same 

colour as the clinker bricks enhance 

the ceramic appearance of the 

façades. 

Several of the double-layered 

"stacks" were brought forward 

by five millimetres respectively, 

whilst in other strips they were 

bricked five millimetres further 

back respectively, to further

eak-up and structure the 

brickwork as well as attaining 

a three-dimensional expression 

to the front façade. From a 

distance, this results in a restrained, 

playful relief. The strong 

rhythm of the façade pattern 

ensures that the design does not 

slip into the purely decorative. 

The projecting bay windows 

were designed without a relief 

to act as a contrast. 

Town apartments 

in Maastricht (NL) 

Planning: 

Humblé Architecten 

Maastricht 

Photos: 

Andrea Gulickx, Ijzendoorn (NL) 

Röben ceramic clinker brick 

FARO grey-nuanced, smooth 

Water absorption approx. 1.5 % 

The façade of each house 

is created differently. 

Continuously bricked in 

stacked bond, several 

stacks come forward in 

a rhythmic interchange, 

several go back, sometimes 

together, sometime 

individually, sometimes 

compactly, sometimes 

sporadically - or as a strip 

across the entire width of 

the façade. 

17

18 

Close to the 

still aff 

SOCIAL HOUSING 

CONSTRUCTION 

IN HAMBURG

city and yet 

ordable 

Residential housing construction in Hamburg has 

been stagnating at a low level for years, barely 

even half of the target numbers will be reached. 

If at all, then it is luxury apartments which 

are primarily being built, new construction of 

affordable apartments remains rather on the 

low side. The 33 apartments completed by the 

Baugenossenschaft freier Gewerkschafter eG 

(BGFG) in the Alsterdorfer Straße are one of the 

more positive examples, however. With this new 

building, situated in the middle of the city of 

Hamburg between the city park and airport, the 

BGFG are creating first-class and yet still affordable 

housing for families. 

19

With this new housing 

ensemble, a district 

with its own identity 

and high quality of living 

has been created. 

Low-energy design with solid 

building materials 

The buildings were designed as 

low-energy housing. An economic 

static concept with continuous 

load-bearing walls without 

supports, highly insulated 

façades and roofs, controlled 

room ventilation as well as the 

use of durable materials ensure 

an economic and energy-efficient 

use and minimal follow-up 

building costs. In comparison 

to conventional construction 

projects the CO2 emissions are 

considerably lower. 

This has principally been possible 

through the use of a modern, 

cavity wall construction with 

core insulation. The brick façades 

which enclose the ensemble 

were created using the expressive 

Röben hand-moulded facing 

bricks GEESTBRAND variegated 

white. However, the façade does 

not have the typical small-scale 

brick masonry structure thanks 

to the light joints. In contrast to 

this, a classic brick architecture 

with decorative bond commonly 

found in Hamburg was selected 

for the ground floor: Every second 

row of bricks was brought 

slightly forward giving the brickwork 

a horizontal structure. By 

doing this, the building appears 

to be resting on a particularly 

solid base. 

Cross-generation housing 

This has resulted in a building 

with a play of light brick and 

glass areas as well as set panels 

which radiates a high-quality, 

open and modern appeal. The 

building's cubic capacity is divided 

into an attached building 

development along the Alsterdorfer 

Straße as well as clearly 

differentiated housing with a 

maximum of eight neighbouring 

apartments in the garden courtyard. 

The building has an open 

and friendly feel to it, occasioned 

by rhythmic breaks with 

loggias and roof terraces. 

2 - 5 room apartments are available 

which comply with the desire 

for a cross-generation form of 

housing. All apartments are 

barrier-free and accessed via lifts. 

With this new housing ensemble, 

a district has been established 

which has its own identity, 

a high social security and high 

quality of living and which has 

created a positive sign for familyfriendly 

living in cooperative 

housing. 

21

Commonly found in 

Hamburg brick architecture: 

The decorative bond on the 

ground floor. 

23

Parapet wall as pre-fabricated 

parts 

To solve a tricky static situation 

in the parapet wall area, the Röben 

Planning Service developed 

pre-fabricated brick parts for this 

area. To do this, the parapet wall 

elements were positioned onto 

formwork in front of the filigree 

floor. The floor was subsequently 

cast on site. The Schöck Isokorb 

components integrated into the 

pre-fabricated parts produce a 

friction-locked, insulated connection 

with the concreted building 

floor. These were already a fixed 

component in the pre-fabricated 

parts where lintels and rabbets 

were needed underneath the 

parapet walls. In other areas, the 

pre-fabricated parts were laid on 

the brickwork. 

24 

On the other hand, the requisite 

exposed concrete on the balcony 

parapets were clad with 

Röben GEESTBRAND strip tiles. 

This resulted in a completely 

uniform façade appearance. 

Details parapet wall 

40,42 

57,08 

11,50 

25,50 

25,50 

24,22 24,22 

Schöck Iso Schöck Isokorb 

Type Typ AA 

Betondecke 

Filigrandecke 

Schöck Iso Schöck Isokorb 

Type Typ A 

approx. ca. alle every 55-60 55-60 cm cm 

Betondecke 

Filigrandecke 

6,00 

6,00 

14,00 

14,00 

20,00 

20,00

BGFG Social housing construction 

in Hamburg 

Planning: 

kbnk Architekten, 

Hamburg 

Photos: 

Detlef Klose, Schwerin 

Röben hand-moulded facing brick 

GEESTBRAND variegated white 


5 

8 

9 

6 

Schnitt Dachterrasse 1-20 

KBNK ARCHITEKTEN GMBH 

3 

4 

7 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

1 

Aluminiumblech 3mm 

pulverbeschichtet 

Kiesschüttung 50mm 

Randbereiche Betonplatten 50/50 

MK-Vlies als Trennlage 

XPS-Platten 200mm 

WU-Beton 250mm 

Geestbrand buntweiss 115mm 

Kerndämmung 180mm 

WU-Beton Aufkantung 250mm 

Kunststofffenster, achatgrau 

(Uw=0,9W/m2K, g=0,33) 

Stahlgeländer pulverbeschichtet, 

aussenseitig Zierlochblech 

pulverbeschichtet 

Gehwegplatten 400/400/42mm 

Splittbett 50mm 

R-Vlies 

Roofmate SL-X 200mm 

Bautenschutzmatte 8mm 

Dapfsperre Vapour barrier 

Stahlbetondecke 250mm 

Nero Assoluto 30mm 

Stahlbeton-Fertigteil-Attikabalken 

mit Riemchen 15mm 

Geestbrand buntweiss 

Geestbrand buntweiss 115mm 

Kerndämmung 180mm 

Stahlbetonwand 175mm 

2 

25

26 

DETACHED HOUSE 

IN KAMPERLAND (NL) 

Black villa 

The Dutch province of Zeeland consists of an exten- 

sive delta of different large islands and peninsulas. 

The small township of Kamperland is one of the 

most popular resorts in the region. Last year, a villa 

was completed by the architects Bedaux de Brouwer 

here, around five kilometres from the North Sea 

and directly on the banks of the inland lake Veerse 

Sea which was separated from the open sea in 

1961. In order to get the most from the location

on the lake 

with its attractive grounds close to the water and 

to embed the two-storey flat-roofed building with 

around 360 m² living space as optimally as possible 

into the gently sloping shore topography, the archi- 

tects developed a decidedly minimalist-styled design 

with a solid black clinker brick façade which opens 

onto the water from the upper floor by means of 

an elegant, profiled, double-glazed glass front. 

This results in a splendid panoramic view from the 

balcony and the adjacent dining area in the living 

room across the garden and the small jetty towards 

the most beautiful section of the Dutch coast with 

the Veerse Sea and its two islands and towards the 

historic silhouette of the small town of Veere on the 

opposite west bank of the lake. 

27

The continuous black 

shell design is merely 

broken up by three narrow, 

vertical slits opening 

on the street side. The 

entrance front 

equally presents 

a closed image. 

28 

Closed frontage 

"For both the rear section of the 

living room and the remaining 

living room areas, we decided 

to create a distinct contrast 

through the use of a largely 

closed, dark clinker brick façade 

which would provide the residents 

with sufficient possibilities 

for privacy and seclusion whilst 

still affording a clear view across 

the lake", reports the architect 

Jacq. de Brouwer. The open 

front view towards the northwest 

affords an unusual sight 

as the continuous black shell 

design is merely broken up by 

three tiny vertical slits. The entrance 

front presents an equally 

closed image. It is slightly set 

back from the new building 

facing towards the north west, 

has concrete stairs purposely 

designed to emphasise their 

functionality and a jet black 

front door. Additional, surprising 

architectural features can 

be seen in the two elegantly 

rounded corners of the house 

to the north and east. "With its 

sweeping design, the two curves 

create a flowing transition between 

the solidity of the clinker 

brick areas and the lightness of 

the directly adjoining glass front 

on the upper floor", says Jacq. 

de Brower. 

As hermetically-sealed as the 

new building appears on the 

outside, on its opposite side, the 

appearance of the interior is airy 

and light. A seven metre high 

atrium which opens up to the 

sky has been integrated into the 

centre of the house designed by 

the interior architects Annega 

& Partners, so that sufficient 

natural daylight can be provided 

for the bedrooms on the ground 

floor without obstructing the 

view across the water. 

Homogeneous façade 

The dark brick façades were 

executed as double-cavity walls 

with reinforced concrete internal 

walls and core insulation. 

The insulation was composed 

of hard foam insulation panels, 

the U-value of the façade is 

0.19 W/m²K. In selecting a 

suitable brick, the architect 

Jacq. de Brouwer once again 

went for the Röben ceramic 

clinker brick FARO blacknuanced 

in standard format.

The consistently uniform stretcher 

bond provides a decidedly 

calm façade image which anchors 

the new building quite naturally 

into the varied landscape. 

"In order to further reinforce 

this homogenous overall impression 

of the façade and 

to highlight the solid ceramic 

character of the façades, we 

additionally designed deeply 

recessed dark joints", explains 

Jacq. de Brower. To achieve this, 

the technique of flush masonry 

jointing was used and results in 

the walls and joints appearing 

"as one piece". This means 

that the masonry mortar is also 

the joint mortar. By smoothing 

with a wooden dowel a slightly 

rounded joint is achieved and 

gives an overall masonry which 

is excellently crafted and voidfree. 

Stainless steel brackets 

were used as lintels above the 

four metre wide entrance area 

so that the façade construction 

was quick and safe. 

Detached house in 

Kamperland (NL) 

Planning: 

Bedaux de Brouwer 

Architects, Goirle (NL) 

Photos: 

Luuk Kramer, Amsterdam 

Andrea Gulickx, Ijzendoorn 

A splendid panoramic 

view can be seen from 

the living room 

Röben ceramic brick 

FARO black-nuanced 


29

Interior and exterior 

flow almost seamless into 

one another. And so, 

the black ceramic clinker 

brick becomes part of 

the interior design. 

31

32 

RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX 

IN DÖTTINGEN (CH) 

Perfect 

The looming change in demographics makes it 

essential to find new solutions which will enable 

different generations to live together. Increasing 

attention is being given to modern residential 

complexes where residents who are still partially 

working also have numerous community functions 

available to them, besides a flexible service of care. 

An excellent example of this type of housing can

combination 

be seen in the project "aarRain" in the Swiss muni- 

cipality of Döttingen, located not very far away 

from the Black Forest on the German border, near 

Waldshut-Tiengen. The residential complex pro- 

vides 44 high-quality apartments, several smaller- 

sized shops and doctor's practices as well as a café 

which serves as a public meeting place. All residen- 

tial units offer flexible floor plans with barrier-free 

facilities and access on the ground-floor level. The 

building was realised by the local architects Markus 

and Raphael Haefeli and is composed of two large- 

sized buildings, each with five stories apiece, stret- 

ching in a north-south direction along the main 

road in town. 

33

34 

Dual cavity brickwork 

The powerful brick architecture 

and compact, clear organised 

building structure demonstrates 

the influence of Hans Kollhoff, 

in whose office Raphael Haefeli 

worked for several years. The 

east side of the building facing 

the street was designed as a 

recessed, perforated façade with 

The east side of the building 

was designed as a recessed, 

perforated facade. 

With its silver-blue 

iridescent glow, the 

Röben brick RYSUM 

flashed-variegated 

brings the powerful 

architecture to life. 

a roofed walkway behind and 

elegant windows which lie 

flush against the façade. On 

the west side, between the living 

area and the façade spacious 

loggias can be found with 

unobstructed views across the 

River Aare a few metres away. 

The 3,500 square metre façade 

of the two new buildings has 

predominantly been built as a 

solid construction with a cavity 

wall. The standard assembly 

consists of an 11.5 centimetre 

thick exposed brickwork, a 

four centimetre thick rear ventilation, 

a 16 centimetre thick 

mineral fibre board as thermal 

insulation, a 15 centimetre 

thick supporting brick masonry 

and interior plaster. Furthermore, 

reinforced concrete

pillars and walls also serve as 

supporting elements. NF-Röben 

bricks RYSUM flashed-variegated 

were used for the project. 

The bricks had been requested 

by the architects and had also 

been previously viewed at the 

residential complex "Rosenbüchel" 

near St Gallen (see 

EXEMPLUM No. 17). The bricks 

in stretcher bond emphasise 

the powerful architectural language 

and bring the high-quality 

character of the project to the 

fore. The silver-blue iridescent 

glow of the bricks is further emphasised 

by the restrained joints 

in a dark colour which brings 

the façade image to life and 

creates a variety of colours and 

reflections depending upon the 

weather and position of the sun. 

35

Conventional pillars 

on brackets 

An important reason for the 

collaboration with Röben was 

the technical support given 

through the Röben Planning 

Service which provided a complete 

concept for the entire 

façade including an exact calculation 

of the costs in advance. 

"The implementation of 

horizontal bonds between the 

loggias proved to be a particular 

challenge", reports the 

architect Raphael Haefeli looking 

back. "In order to achieve 

a fast and structurally safe 

solution, pre-fabricated lintels 

were used at this point." 

In order to prevent tension 

between the pre-fabricated 

lintels and the conventionally 

constructed brickwork, they 

36 

were laid on separate elastomer 

slide bearings. 

As the sun protection and ceiling 

connections were placed 

directly behind the façade, a 

special construction of brackets 

needed to be developed 

and installed because of the 

tight amount of space available. 

Visually, construction of 

lintels in stack bonded brickwork 

with "standing" bricks 

created a successful contrast 

to the stretcher course which 

would otherwise have been 

selected. 

The vertical brickwork pillars 

between the individual galleries 

were bricked conventionally 

onto stainless steel 

brackets in contrast to the 

horizontal lintels. 

Residential complex in 

Döttingen (CH) 

Planning: 

Haefeli Architekten, 

Döttingen (CH) 

Photos: 

Armin Wenzel, Sielenbach 

Röben ceramic brick 

RYSUM flashed-variegated 


An open façade with generouslysized 

loggias. All horizontal bonds 

used are pre-fabricated parts. The 

vertical pillars are conventionally bricked, 

placed on stainless steel angle 

brackets in order to cushion the load 

on the reinforced concrete structure.

INTERVIEW 

The façade of the "aarRain" building is 

brought to life with the dazzling RYSUM 

bricks. But it is not just the brick surface 

which shapes the architecture of the ensemble, 

it is first and foremost the arrangement 

of areas with pillars, including the projecting 

pillars seen on the south building. For 

Horst Klockgether, Manager of the Röben 

Planning Service, this resulted in some very 

interesting assignments. 

Herr Klockgether, why are 

the pillars of this building 

different? 

The first thing we were confronted 

with was that the 

architect had decided to design 

the roof drainage using pipes 

which were to be hidden inside 

supporting reinforced concrete 

pillars. This had consequences 

for anchoring the brick veneer 

to these pillars. The second 

thing was the the special 

challenged posed by the load 

transfer with the projecting 

pillars. 

Let's start with the hidden 

drainage: What consequences 

did that have for 

the Röben Planning Service? 

The veneer of the pillars should 

be conventionally bricked. We, 

therefore, had to ascertain 

that the support for the bricks 

could be anchored correctly 

and without damaging the 

pipes hidden in the concrete. 

Normally, brickwork anchors 

require a drilling depth of 60 

mm. However, this was not 

possible on the front of the 

pillar because of the relatively 

thin concrete cover. 

What solution did you come 

up with? 

After consultation with the 

Modersohn Company, we decided 

to carry out doweling of 

the anchors on the side of the 

pillars where more concrete 

was available. We embedded 

screw anchors into this using 

a special adhesive, which although 

shorter, were twice the 

diameter, and which are able 

to absorb the resulting loads. 

In order to ensure the stability 

of the pillars' veneers, we then 

arranged for reinforcements to 

Dipl.-Ing. Horst Klockgether 

Manager of Röben Planning Service 

be made at every third course 

joint on the undowelled front 

side. This results in a veneer 

shell that is securely attached to 

the concrete structure. 

An elegant solution... 

... which, unfortunately, doesn't 

work on the corners of the buildings: 

There weren't just two 

but in some cases even three 

pipes in the concrete pillar. 

Detail pillar 

Which meant that not even the 

shorter screw anchors could be 

embedded. Therefore, we attached 

front-projecting stainlesssteel 

beams to the supporting 

side walls, which were, in 

turn, connected using vertical 

bars from floor to floor. The 

required air layer flat anchor 

for conventional masonry could 

then be inserted into these 

vertical bars and the bricks be 

securely anchored. 

37

Corner 

details 

Corner 

details 

38 

Unusual: Projecting 

pillar structures. 

It isn't just the anchoring of 

the veneer shell here which 

is so particularly unusual 

- the recessed, perforated 

façade on the east side and 

the projecting pillars on the 

west side of the southern 

building required special 

solutions. 

The bricked pillars are partly 

above the brickwork openings 

and not, as is usual, over the 

pillars of the underlying storey. 

This would have meant that 

the lintels needed to be excessively 

over-sized in order to 

accommodate the loads of the 

pillars resting on them. We relieved 

the load on the lintels 

by cushioning the pillars, storey 

by storey, with brackets attached 

to the reinforced concrete 

rear structure. The brickwork 

opening could, therefore, be 

covered with conventional pre- 

The Röben Planning Service had 

the technical solution. 

fabricated lintels which lie on 

slide bearings and only needed 

to be secured against tipping. 

The parapet wall is entirely 

made up of pre-fabricated 

parts. 

Yes, they are the same length 

as the axial dimension of the 

pillars and are placed on both 

sides. The depth of the soffit is 

up to 49 cm. The pre-fabricated 

parts needed to be recessed 

at the sides so that the pillars 

could be enclosed in the ceiling 

area. The stainless steel 

attachments were sunk into the 

concrete of the pre-fabricated 

parts so that they did not impede 

with installation of plates for 

water drainage. 

The north side has 

a beautiful wavy line. 

You found a rather unusual

solution for precision 

manufacture of the prefabricated 

parts for this section, 

didn't you.... 

You certainly could say that: In 

order to determine the actual 

façade course, my employees 

climbed up the walls with large 

plastic panels, they literally 

copied the shape and cut the 

panels accordingly. Then, they 

jumped into the airplane with 

these giant templates and 

delivered them to the Röben 

pre-fabricated parts plant for 

formwork construction. They 

did the exact same thing for 

the surrounding roll-layer prefabricated 

parts in this area - 

it worked well! 

A clean and technically perfect 

solution: Parapet wall elements 

as brick pre-fabricated parts... 

... also in curved shapes. 

Details parapet wall 

39

40 

SENIOR CITIZENS 

RESIDENTIAL HOME 

BREMEN-ARSTEN 

Ca 

Together with the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, 

the Bremer Residenz-Gruppe has developed a new 

senior citizen's residential home project and trans- 

lated this into modern, attractive architecture: The 

facility on the Heukämpendamm is made up of 

two separate building projects and sets a new focal 

point in this development area with the Röben 

clinker brick ACCUM blue-brown in 2DF format. A

e facilities are 

a focal point 

total of 106 senior citizens are able to live in the 

"Pflegezentrum Arsten". With care apartments, 

generously-proportioned single and several double 

rooms, it provides a wide range of living options. 

Opposite is the "Villa am Grün" with 15 two and 

three room apartments that are flooded with light 

and measure between 65 and 90 m² for the genera- 

tion 50+. All apartments have a spacious balcony or 

a large roof terrace up to 60 m² in size. Depending 

on needs, various service options from the neigh- 

bouring nursing centre are on hand. An additional 

advantage can be found in the location: Despite 

the idyllic position, public transport such as busses 

and trains are easily reached. 

41

Above: The care home and the "Villa 

am Grün" stand opposite to one 

another. 

Below: The lively interplay of colours 

and partially reflective surface of 

the blue-brown Röben clinker brick 

ACCUM particularly come into their 

own in the 2DF format. 

42 

Integrated into everyday life 

and the surrounding area 

Today, the Residenz-Gruppe 

Bremen is one of the largest 

private providers of senior facilities 

with around 1,700 beds 

and 1,100 employees. Work 

is carried out according to the 

EDEN philosophy: The residents 

do not passively live in a home 

but are integrated into everyday 

life which includes activities, 

responsibility, sociability and entertainment. 

The care home and "Villa im 

Grün" are designed as two- 

and three-storied buildings. 

Houses available for rent are 

grouped around them as are 

semi-detached and detached 

homes, predominantly built in 

light-red brick with façades partially 

constructed in 2DF 

format. In order to accommodate 

this expressive form and 

to structure the large buildings 

clearly, the contractor and 

architect decided to use the 

larger brick format for the new 

buildings too. However, they 

did not want a façade in typical 

brick-red but instead opted for 

vibrant brickwork with different 

interplays of colours and 

varying reflective bricks. With 

the 2DF format especially, these 

specific characteristics 

of the Röben clinker brick 

ACCUM blue-brown come 

into their own. 

Stylised gates welcome 

visitors 

Compared to the clearly structured 

buildings in the neighbourhood, 

the care home and 

"Villa am Grün" are, in the truest 

sense of the words, completely 

out of the ordinary: 

The eaves from both of the 

outer corners of the building 

on the forecourt side fall diagonally 

down into the centre 

between the second and third 

story; 

they reach the lowest point 

above the main entrance. In 

conjunction with the inwardfacing 

angle of the façade, an 

entrance situation comes into 

being here, one which literally 

leads visitors and passers-by 

into the building. The rising

façade at Heukämpendamm 

was partially used as protection 

for the spacious roof gardens. 

In keeping with the large clinker 

brick format, the window 

openings of the perforated 

façade were generously proportioned. 

All the windows are 

floor-length and provide an 

abundance of light for the residents. 

The black window frames 

blend into the blue-brown 

image of the façade extremely 

well. 

The philosophy of the Residenz 

Gruppe is to place people at 

centre-stage and to provide 

them with a loving home even 

in old age and this is reflected 

in the high-quality standard of 

the basic structure of the building. 

In addition, there is a large 

garden which provides the 

opportunity to relax and meet 

people. It is no wonder that 

both the apartments and care 

places are in demand in equal 

measure here. 

Senior citizens residential home 

Bremen-Arsten 

Architect: 

Prof. Carsten Lorenzen, 

Copenhagen 

Photos: 

Fotostudio Zahn, Großenkneten 

Röben clinker brick 

ACCUM blue-brown 


Above: The roof edges run 

to a point towards the small 

square between the buildings. 

This results in a gateway 

situation which receives 

the residents and visitors. 

Below: The clinker 

brick alters its expressive 

interplay of colours in every 

type of light. 

43

44 

Signal for a 

new departure

COURT HOUSE 

IN KATOWICE (PL) 

The city of Katowice has more than 300,000 

inhabitants and is the centre of the heavily 

dominated mining region of Upper Silesia. A 

few months ago, the new district court was 

opened around two kilometres away from the 

city's centre in the south-east. 

The new building, designed by locally-based 

Archistudio Studniarek + Pilinkiewicz and realised 

by the construction company Budimex 

Dromex, brings all of the court's offices previously 

spread across various locations throughout 

the entire city under one roof. It provides a total 

floor area of 15,000 square metres for around 

50 courtrooms and administration offices. 

In order to embed the six-storied new complex into 

the heterogeneous urban environment along the 

directly neighbouring A4 motorway as best as possible, 

the planners designed a 115 metre long and 

40 metre wide cuboid which was constructed using 

reinforced concrete with high-quality exposed 

brickwork made from light-grey ceramic clinker 

bricks. The powerful language of the monumental 

architectural structure considerably enhances the 

district and also acts as a catalyst for further development. 

45

46 

The entrance portals are 

25 metres high. Supported 

by slender pillars, the open 

canopies join the façades 

bricked in classic stretcher 

bond.

25 metre high entrance 

portals 

One of the striking features of 

the new building for visitors and 

court employees are the two 

25 metre high entrance portals 

facing west and east. With their 

slender pillars, the powerful, 

partially open canopies, the 

seemingly free-mounted structure 

on the first floor as well as 

the deeply recessed entrance 

portals with their glass surfaces 

encased in wood, the balancing 

act between ancient and modern 

architectural concepts - as 

an attendant reference to the 

centuries-old history of the judiciary 

and as a quintessential 

framework for the building's 

function - has been successfully 

achieved. The designers integrated 

a large, quadrangle covered 

with greenery at the core of the 

new building in order to enable 

bright natural daylight to reach 

the interiors of all areas. 

Elaborate expansion joints 

All the new building's masonry 

façades were built using Röben 

ceramic clinker brick FARO 

grey-nuanced, smooth. The 

strong symmetrical design in 

48 

The neutral grey of the 

clinker brick reflects the 

warm sunlight. 

The stone blends 

stretcher bond with restrained 

joints in a customised shade of 

grey emphasise the dignity and 

representative character of the 

architecture. At the same time, 

the stone blends well with the 

narrow, wood-framed windows. 

In the quadrangle area, the use 

of a light-coloured stone also 

optimises the use of natural daylight 

in the inner-facing rooms 

located in the court building. 

The Meander joints, which have 

been designed to minimise the 

visible expansion joints as much 

as possible, are unusual both 

here and in the outside area. 

Combined in different 

formats 

Owing to the huge, approximately 

7,000 square metre large 

façade area of the new building, 

more than 300,000 bricks in 9 

cm standard size (240 x 90 x 71 

mm) were bricked directly at the 

site. There were also an additional 

43,000 clinker bricks and 

7,000 full bricks in standard normal 

format. 22,000 stones were 

manufactured on the stretcher 

side with a dummy joint so that 

a continuous layer of headers 

could be bricked. 

well with the narrow, wood-framed 

windows. 

In order to be able to manufacture 

the "real" headers as efficiently 

as possible on the building 

site without the complexity of 

cutting, especially in view of the 

number required in the window 

areas, Röben also supplied bricks 

with a deeply pre-cut stretcher 

side which could be halved with 

a single stroke. Furthermore, for 

structural reasons, 7,000 just 

14 mm thick ceramic strip tiles 

in standard format were directly 

bonded onto the insulation 

boards for the underneath section 

of the overhanging structure in 

the east portal as well as in other 

sensitive areas of the brickwork. 

Therefore, a total of almost 

400,000 bricks bearing different 

characteristics needed to be delivered 

to the Katowice building 

site from the almost 1,000 km 

distant plant in the Westerwald. 

The new building of the district 

court is, therefore, representative 

of both an architectural and 

logistical tour de force. 

Court house 

in Katowice (PL) 

Planning: 

Archistudio 

Studniarek + Pilinkiewicz, Katowice 

Photos: 

arch & graph design 

arch Przemyslaw Piwowar 

Wroclaw 

Röben ceramic clinker brick 

FARO grey-nuanced, smooth 

Water absorption approx. 1.5 %

The deeply recessed, 

high, glass entrance 

fronts emphasise the 

lightness of the architecture 

and create an 

aesthetic contrast to the 

brickwork. 

49

50 

MARITIME COMPETENCE 

CENTRE IN LEER 

The rooms on the 1st floor of the new Maritime 

Competence Centre MARIKO in Leer are called 

"bridges". And indeed, one does feel like a captain 

on entering as they have been faithfully 

copied according to the navigation bridges of 

large ships, right down to the last detail. Voyages

A house 

full of bridges 

from the German Bight into all the oceans of the 

world are simulated in these simulators. The new 

building has been standing directly next to the 

old nautical college in Leer since September 2009. 

Its main objective is training and further education, 

certification and research as well as location 

marketing. Within the Ems-Dollart region, both 

the shipping companies Hartmann and Buss in 

addition to the administrative district of Leer, 

have made strong financial commitments towards 

this facility. It is equipped with technology which 

is unique in Europe. 

51

The coal variegated Röben 

clinker brick HOOKSIEL 

underlines the individuality 

Retaining the old, contemporising 

with new additions 

"Building bridges" was the 

brief given by the administrative 

district of Leer to the architectural 

office of Beyer + Freitag 

& Zeh of Emden who won the 

tender for the realisation of the 

MARIKO. It was important for 

them to create a union between 

the historical building from the 

middle of the 19th century and 

the new building, one that was 

visual and one that also functions 

in an optimal fashion. In 

the process, the richly decorated, 

beautiful south gable of the 

nautical college should be optically 

integrated.It was clear to 

the architects from the first that 

they would accommodate part 

52 

of the new building, also in 

combination with 

the aluminium components. 

of the old building's expressive 

form, but that they would not 

replicate it in doing so. What 

has come about is an independent 

solitaire which does not 

historicise but, with a contemporary, 

clear geometry to its facade, 

rather sets a marked contrast. 

The future-oriented use of 

the new buildings should also 

be reflected in the contemporary 

aspirations of the architecture, 

without entering into competition 

with the existing building. 

Diverse façade constructions 

For the façade of the new building, 

the decision fell on brick 

once again, but this time with 

the darker Röben brick HOOK- 

SIEL coal variegated which un- 

derlines its independence. In the 

window areas, pre-fabricated 

brick lintels were used. The 

frieze, separating the ground 

floor from the first floor, was 

created from stack bonded 

brickwork, one-and-a-half bricks 

thick and also across the corners. 

Pre-fabricated bricks from 

Röben were also made for this 

purpose. They were attached to 

the façade by means of clinker 

brickwork support anchors and 

the Röben clinker bricks were 

conventionally bricked onto the 

rising masonry. 

The upper façade area of the 

first floor where the simulators 

are found, was furnished 

with an aluminium cladding. 

The glazed second story was 

recessed in order to give the 

building the optical appearance 

of more height. Here, meeting 

and lecture rooms used by the 

maritime industry and by the administrative 

district of Leer can 

be found. The glass plates were 

mirrored since, although they 

serve as windows, they are also 

there to hide the backing wall. 

The terrace which surrounds the 

penthouse level is reminiscent 

of the decks on modern cruise 

liners and showcases the maritime 

character of the building. 

The old building remains 

dominant 

The divide between the old and 

new was solved with a glazed 

staircase which connects the

The clear structure of the 

new building's façade sets a 

marked contrast to the historic 

building. 

various levels of the old and 

new buildings. Its roof is also 

made from glass and gives a 

view of the historic gable with 

its decorative elements and 

is, therefore, easily visible for 

everyone, whether from the 

outside or inside. From an urban 

planning point of view, the new 

building fits into the streetscape 

very well. However, given its 

clear structure, distribution of 

surfaces and materials together 

with its transparency, the historic 

building, quite clearly remains 

the dominant feature. 

The divide between the old 

and new was solved with a 

glazed staircase, enabling the 

historic gable with its decorative 

elements to be viewed 

from every perspective. 

Maritime Competence 

Centre in Leer 

Architects 

beyer + freitag & zeh, 

Emden 

Photos: 



HOOKSIEL coal variegated 


53

54 

Tone in Tone 

OFFICE BUILDING 

IN FRANKFURT/MAIN

The Osthafen lies at the eastern edge of the city 

of Frankfurt. Here, in close proximity to the docks 

and goods depot, this striking brick property from 

the Baum real estate group came into being. The 

future users, in particular, international advertising 

and marketing agency Starcom MediaVest Group, 

were all given the opportunity of designing the 

new rooms in accordance with their own vision. 

And from this, a concept of high-end architecture 

grew that was sophisticated and functional at the 

same time and one in which people are able to feel 

wholly comfortable. 

55

The clear, structured shape of the 

building is purposefully underlined 

with the red brick cladding. 

Red brick, red joints 

For the façade, three red tones 

were developed based on the 


brick WIESMOOR in DF format 

which were also worked 

with red joining mortar. The 

rustic-looking facing brick 

nestles perfectly in the austere 

architecture. The result is a 

structure which is monolithic in 

appearance but with a powerful, 

self-confident aura - surrounded 

by post-modern architecture 

and restored industrial 

monuments. 

Pre-fabricated brick parts 

in all building areas 

The façade is characterised by 

parapets with projecting planes. 

Each of the pre-fabricated 

parts are placed on stainless 

56 

steel plates which are attached 

to the underlying reinforced 

concrete structure. In so doing, 

the window sill is a little behind 

the façade level, the lower 

closure of the parapet juts out 

slightly. The areas between 

these pre-fabricated parts were 

each walled conventionally. 

The underside of the supporting 

concrete skeleton-frame 

structure on the upper floor is 

lined with pre-fabricated facing 

bricks. This was also conventionally 

bricked. A frieze, equally 

designed as a pre-fabricated 

part, forms the upper closure. 

The Röben planning service 

has developed and produced 

around 2,500m brick prefabricated 

structures for the 

self-supporting elements as 

well as for lintels, parapets and 

brickwork copings. 

Neighbourhood in transition 

The planned location for the 

new ECB headquarters on the 

former hypermarket site acted 

as a motor for the new urban 

culture in the Osthafen. The 

direct underground rail connection 

was finished as early as 

2007 and it enabled the development 

of the neighbourhood 

with this new architectural 

accent to take a further step 

forward from a traditional port 

district to a modern, residential 

and service centre. The choice 

of classic brick in the modern 

architecture can certainly be 

considered to be bowing to 

the history of the area. 

Office building in 

Frankfurt/Main 

Planning: 

Ortner & Ortner Baukunst, Berlin 

Photos: 

Martin Starl, Frankfurt/Main 

Röben hand-finished facing brick 

WIESMOOR in three special colours 


Detail brick-clad pillars 

and open beams 

Generously-proportioned 

open areas have been created 

in the upper section of 

the building by terraces on 

the south-western and northeastern 

sides marked with brickclad, 

reinforced concrete pillars 

and open beams. 

Detail parapets 

The window sills and 

parapet closures are 

composed of brick 

pre-fabricated pieces 

57

58 

New breath 

of life 

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN 

RUPELMONDE (BE)

The small Flemish town of Rupelmonde, around 

20 kilometres south of Antwerp on the banks 

of the Schelde, is best known historically principally 

as the birthplace of Gerhard Mercator, 

the famous cartographer of the 16th century. 

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the 

everyday life of the place has been defined by 

the shipyard founded in 1913, "Chantier Naval 

de Rupelmonde" (CNR), which lies just outside 

the village. Following shutdown of production in 

1996, the old hangars of the shipyard lay unused 

for several years. Meanwhile, however, new life 

has been breathed into the area. This is thanks 

to a total of 60 freehold apartments constructed 

on the former shipyard site according to plans by 

the Wit Architecten from nearby Leuven. 

59

The two clinker brick buildings 

on the banks of the Scheldt are 

visible landmarks, shaping the 

character of the place from afar. 

Preventing urban sprawl 

In order to prevent extensive 

urban sprawl from covering 

the banks of the Schelde to 

the south, the planners compactly 

housed the required 

units into two large-scale 

clinker brick buildings which 

now characterise the area from 

afar as visible landmarks: The 

six-storey, "Atlas" wing, positioned 

orthogonally to the bank, 

offers 23 apartments, the 

eleven-storey residential tower 

"Titan" in front of it provides 

37 apartments. 

In collaboration with the Talboom 

office from Puurs who 

were called in for the construc- 

60 

tion, the WIT architects integrated 

large, horizontal bands 

of windows into both of the 

buildings in addition to individual, 

seemingly randomly 

placed, smaller windows as 

well as large recessed balconies 

and loggias in order to 

provide bright interiors and 

sweeping views of the river 

and the neighbouring polder 

landscape. The diverse size and 

arrangement of the balconies, 

which are partially positioned 

at an angle, lend an animated 

appearance to the façade 

with its unexpected recesses. 

Garages for the residents are 

located directly next to the two 

structures, running parallel to 

the flatter part of the building. 

Hand-moulded bricks with 

concrete and steel 

"During the planning stage of 

the project, we had a simple 

material language in mind, 

which, on the one hand, would 

emphasise the solidity of the 

building, and which, on the 

other, would tie in with the 

existing architecture in the centre 

of Rupelmonde", explains 

project architect Bert Verstraete. 

"Therefore, we finally decided 

to design the façade with a 

red-brown clinker brick in addition 

to accents using exposed 

concrete and steel." 

After visiting the detached 

house by Bert Huitsing in Win- 

Wilma Project Developement nv 

sum (EXEMPLUM No. 17), the 

final choice fell on the Röben 

hand-moulded facing brick 

WASSERSTRICH variegated 

flashed. In addition, the raw 

handcrafted character of the 

stone, bricked in a continuous 

stretcher bond, is enhanced 

by the choice of a light-grey 

jointing which is recessed by 

around five millimetres. "Form, 

colour and structure really 

come into their own in contrast 

to smoothly designed façades, 

particularly when hit by rays of 

light", says Bert Verstraete. 

Another striking feature is the 

richly detailed contrast of the 

numerous recesses in the façade: 

"The facing bricks were only

Large, horizontal bands of 

windows, balconies and loggias 

enable sweeping views of 

the river. 

used for the outer planes of the 

façade for this. All the recesses 

or balconies were completely 

designed using white plaster." 

In order to reliably construct 

the brickwork systematically, 

different widths of lintel profiles 

made from stainless steel were 

mounted on the façade above 

the protruding surface areas as 

well as above the wide window 

areas using steel anchors to 

act as a bearing surface for the 

clinker bricks. 

Demand through 

appreciation 

In the meantime, all of the 

60 residential units have been 

The variegated flashed 


bricks WASSERSTRICH 

underscore the 

sold and occupied. After years 

of stagnation and decline, the 

historic shipyard has transformed 

itself into an attractive waterside 

residential area within a 

very short space of time. In the 

meantime, the investors are already 

thinking one step ahead. 

Because, following successful 

marketing, a second building 

phase with an additional 47 

detached flats is next to be 

built along the Schelde-Deich. 

The WASSERSTRICH facing 

bricks will be utilised once 

more. So, you can say, to be 

continued. 

architecture's high-quality 

and character through the 

vivid play of colours and 

strong structure. Whether 

Housing development in 

Rupelmonde (BE) 

Planning: 

WIT Architecten, Leuven 

Photos: 

Andrea Gulickx, Ijzendoorn (NL) 

Röben hand-moulded facing brick 

WASSERSTRICH variegated flashed 


as full-stone masonry in the brickwork 

or as slip tiles 

on the balcony parapet 

61

With a North 

German 

profile 

62

SUPERMARKET 

IN OLDENBURG 

The requirement for a high level of functionality 

together with impressive architectural design 

was successfully combined in the construction of 

a Netto-Markt in Oldenburg. The new building 

complex lies at the heart of a mixed-use zone. 

It is mostly built over two stories according to 

architect Alexander Bielefeld's designs and creates 

a sharp focal point along the neighbouring 

Eichenstraße on the adjacent south-west side 

with its powerful dark clinker brick architecture 

whilst also delivering the optimum solution to 

the space required. Until recently, the site was 

an open field used as an expansion area for the 

neighbouring Hoppe Garden Centre who, as 

an investor, initiated the now completed new 

building. 

63

Red elements clearly contrast 

against the darker masonry 

façade and attract attention 

like signals 

64 

Diverse functional mix 

Besides the large shopping area 

of around 800 square metres, 

the new complex also provides 

space for offices and storage 

rooms as well as additional 

rooms for a medical practice. 

In order to bring all the various 

functional elements under one 

roof, the architect Alexander 

Bielefeld developed a sharpangled 

cuboid which gently 

recedes in a north-easterly direction, 

exactly fitting into the 

plot of land available. The differing 

degrees in height depend 

upon the respective function 

as well as on the neighbouring 

buildings: On the street-side, 

the structure is broken up by 

a generously-proportioned 

outside terrace located on the 

upper floor; to the north-east, 

the addition of a section of the 

building with a mezzanine floor 

raises the entrance to the medical 

practice on the ground floor. 

The building complex is finished 

with wood cladding which is 

different from the usual design 

configuration. L-shaped elements 

with plastic panels coated 

in red are integrated into the 

building to provide an additional 

eye-catching feature to attract 

the attention of passers-by to 

the supermarket. 

Individual sorting grades 

All the building's clinker brick 

façades were constructed as cavity 

walls with inner walls of lime-sand 

brick and mineral wool 

as core insulation. The Röben 

clinker brick ACCUM meltingblue-brown 

was specially developed 

as an individual sorting 

grade and subsequently incorporated 

into the Röben programme. 

"I have already used 

Röben bricks previously", says 

Knut Hoppe. "I wanted to use

a special clinker brick for this 

supermarket that would blend 

into the region around here and 

which would also be in keeping 

with the neighbouring housing 

development as the majority of 

detached homes are made from 

clinker brick." In order to translate 

this vision into reality, coal 

granules were applied to the 

surface of some of the ACCUM 

NF clinker bricks which, when 

fired, would create a particularly 

vivid melted surface. 

On the construction site, the 

clinker bricks were walled in 

Flemish bond with dark pointing 

mortar in order to achieve a 

lively texture to the large area 

and to emphasise the ceramic 

character of the façade. With 

excellent results: "The stone 

underlines the individuality of 

the new building whilst also 

blending perfectly with the surrounding 

buildings", says Knut 

Hoppe. "A clinker brick with a 

clear North German profile!" 

Supermarket 

in Oldenburg 

Planning: 

Alexander Bielefeld, Edewecht 

Construction Management Heiko 

Schwabe, Leer 

Photos: 



ACCUM melting-blue-brown 


65

66 

HOUSING ESTATE IN 

LONDERZEEL (BE) 

Stron 

Anybody travelling along the Belgian A 12 motor- 

way between Antwerp and Brussels, will cross the 

town of Londerzeel with its approximately 17,000 

inhabitants, right in the middle of the Flemish 

province half-way along the stretch. Last year, 

"De Wachter", a housing estate completely built 

from clinker brick and consisting of seven indivi-

gly contrasting 

connection 

dually designed residential units, was realised at 

the southern edge of the town. In order to create 

high-quality apartments with a generous amount 

of natural daylight on the restricted expanse of 

building plot available, the architects Peter Kint, 

Anneleen Sterck and Stijn Philippe decided to divi- 

de the required programme across two differently- 

sized buildings which are joined to one another in 

an unusual way. Opposite a narrow, three-storey 

block facing in a north-westerly direction, stands an 

equally tall, new building orthogonally attached at 

a distance of four metres in a south-easterly direc- 

tion. 

67

With its vibrant 

and lively interplay of 

colours, the coal variegated 


bricks WIESMOOR appear 

The narrow passageway between 

the two buildings affords 

surprising glimpses between the 

road and the green belt bordering 

the back as well as optimising 

access. 

With reference to the old 

brickworks 

In both structures, the long, 

elongated horizontal strips of 

window allow the apartments 

to be flooded with bright natural 

daylight. Further successful 

architectural details can be seen 

in the prominent avant-corps, 

resting on steel pillars facing in 

a north-easterly direction and 

the enclosed bridge which acts 

as a direct link between the two 

buildings on the second floor. 

Access to all the apartments 

is provided via a continuous 

foundation course made of reinforced 

concrete which surrounds 

both buildings. Cellar rooms and 

an underground garage can be 

found underneath this. 

All the façades were constructed 

as cavity walls with projecting 

exposed brickwork and with 

68 

exceedingly contemporary 

and expressive, thereby 

showcasing the high-quality 

character of the housing 

estate. 

a ten-centimetre-thick mineral 

wool layer of insulation inbetween. 

In constructing the 

façades, normal Röben handfinished 

facing bricks in WIES- 

MOOR coal variegated, standard 

format were used. With its 

rough, irregular and solid vibrancy, 

the stone harmoniously 

blends in with the numerous 

brick buildings in the region and 

in so doing also gives a passing 

nod towards a nearby old 

brickworks", says the architect 

Peter Klint. "At the same time, 

the facing brick has an exceedingly 

modern and expressive 

appearance thanks to its strong 

and vibrant play of colours and, 

thereby, showcases the highquality 

and fine character of the 

housing estate." 

Fußsortierung in thin-bed 

mortar 

The construction of the brickwork 

proved to be an aesthetic 

challenge, particularly the 

detailling of the largely closed 

abutting faces of the building. 

In order to achieve a lively and 

imaginatively exciting surface 

here as well as in other areas 

of the façade, the planners 

consciously decided to create a 

design in Flemish bond with an 

irregular intermix of stretchers 

and binders. "In order to further 

enhance the raw character of 

the hand-finished facing brick, 

we made a conscious decision 

to use the rougher side, that is 

to say the "back" of the brick", 

as the front side", says Peter 

Kint." In addition, we specified 

the use of thin-bed mortar and 

that the brickwork not be pointed 

in order to create the impression 

of a bonded brickwork. 

Viewed from afar, it is more the 

solidity that dominates, but as 

you come closer you see more 

of the contrasts within the 

façade itself which are particularly 

eye-catching with the rich, 

subtle shades of colour." 

Housing estate in 

Londerzeel (BE) 

Planning: 

Peter Kint Architecten, Pellenberg (BE) 

with Anneleen Sterck und A. J. Philippe 

Photos: 

André Nullens, Londerzeel 

Röben hand-finished facing brick 

WIESMOOR coal variegated 

Fußsortierung 


In order to further enhance 

the raw character of 

the hand-finished facing 

brick, the "back" of the 

actual brick is used on the 

visible side. The smooth, 

glassy areas on the 

ground floor are in 

marked contrast to them. 

69

RENOVATION OF A 

LÜBECK HOUSING ESTATE 

70 

The Lübeck Bauverein is currently taking great 

pains to redevelop its housing stock in Lübeck's 

district of Moisling. Remarkable: A new, massive 

clinker brick façade with core insulation was the 

most economical solution. 

The buildings belong to the large housing estate 

"Buntekuh" with a total of 5,200 residential 

units, which came about in the early sixties on the 

"green meadow". The district was planned with 

the ideals of structured layout and interspersed 

open spaces, "solutions from a single source" in 

mind. As a modern garden town, they ought to be 

flooded with light, air and sun which is still largely 

New 

clinker brick 

shell for the 

old building 

recognisable today owing to the broad expanse of 

green areas. 449 apartments belong to the Lübeck 

Bauverein. The Bauverein's first residential block is 

now being energetically modernised. To this end, 

the building is being given a completely new façade. 

In order to preserve the original character of 

the brick houses, it was decided to chose a clinker 

brick façade once again and a representative and 

economic solution was found in the Röben clinker 

brick GREETSIEL Friesian variegated.

Above: Pulling down the 

old veneer shell - so-called 

stripping. 

Below: The highly-effective 

insulation between 

the new veneer shell and 

the old backing wall. Prefabricated 

lintels speed up 

the construction process. 

72 

Most economical solution 

After comparing costs with 

alternative systems (for example, 

ETICS with plaster and ETICS 

with strip tiles on the existing 

clinker brick façade as well as 

ETICS on the lime-sand brick backing 

work after stripping down 

the clinker brick), a strong case 

was made for the sustainable 

and significant renovation with 

new clinker bricks: In addition to 

the profitability of the construction, 

the balance was tipped by 

aesthetic aspects together with 

the fact that in future, the classic 

cavity wall is maintenance-free. 

The new façade of the existing 

brick veneer in DF format was 

completely chiselled off, a new 

foundation was cast and the 

new brickwork built on top - 

with a 2DF clinker brick in the 

base area and the same clinker 

brick in NF format over it. 

Eligibility criteria are met 

The double wall construction 

reached a U-value of 0.22 W/ 

m²K with the existing 24 cm 

thick lime-sand brick backing 

work, insulation with 20 mm 

mineral fibre insulation as a 

base course and a 90 mm thick 

polyurethane core insulation for 

the thermal conductivity level 

024 by Ecotherm as well as the 

clinker brick façade as a weather 

shell. Through this highly-efficient 

insulation (new windows 

were naturally installed), the 

pre-requisites for funding were 

in place. 

At the same time, the opportunity 

was taken to test the 

performance of the doublewalled 

clinker brick façade in 

a long-term study: During the 

construction phase, the University 

of Applied Science in Lübeck 

installed a sensor into the insula- 

tion layer which will continually 

supply structural-physical data 

over several heating periods. In 

so doing, durability and efficiency 

of the wall construction will 

be proven in a field test. 

To improve the quality of living 

within the building further, 

glazed balconies were installed, 

lifts were placed in front of the 

façade and the entrance area 

enlarged. In further construction 

phases, the bathrooms and kitchens 

will be modernised in all 

of the apartments. As a result, it 

is to be expected that increases 

in rent caused by the modernisation 

and the decreasing attendant 

costs will balance one another 

out, but, however, with a 

considerable increase in the level 

of comfort for the tenants.

Renovation of a 

Lübeck housing estate 

Architect: 

Werner Papesch, Lübeck 

Photos: 

Urs. F. Kluyver, Hamburg 


GREETSIEL Friesian variegated smooth 


Clinker brick masonry, 

glass and steel - a combination 

that complements 

one another well. 

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73

EXEMPLUM N o 18 Property Vileda headquarters in Weinheim 

Architects BAURCONSULT 

Architects + Engineers, Haßfurt 

Façade Röben, strip tiles 

WESTERWALD variegated, smooth 

74 

EXEMPLUM 

AARCHIVE R C H I - 

EXEMPLUM N o 18 Property Production building in Balgach (CH) 

Architects Baumschläger Eberle, Lachau (A) 

Façade Röben hand-moulded facing brick 

WASSERSTRICH light-red, variegated 

The entire EXEMPLUM archive is available as a download under 

www.roeben.com. The summary provided on these pages only 

shows an excerpt.

Property Multi-functional complex in London EXEMPLUM N o 18 

Architects Edward Cullinan Architects, London 

Façade Röben ceramic clinker bricks VERSAILLES, 

a sorting grade of OSLO pearl-white 

Property Hungarian National Bank in Budapest EXEMPLUM N o 18 

Architect Márton Szabó 

Engineering office ARCAD-Szabó Kft 

Façade Röben clinker brick NEUMARKT, blue-red, flashed 

75

EXEMPLUM 

ARCHIVE 

Property Administration and warehouse building, 

Hamburg 

Architects Peter Bielefeldt, Dorota Bancerek 

Façade Röben clinker brick NEUMARKT, blue-red, 

flashed, Object format 2DF 

EXEMPLUM No 17 

Property Residential complex "Rosenbüchel" 

near St. Gallen (CH) 

Architect Baumschläger Eberle, Vorarlberg 

Façade Röben clinker brick RYSUM, flashedvariegated 


76 

Property Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte (USA) 

Architect Odell Associates, Inc., Ellerbe Becket Architects 

Façade Triangle brick/Röben clinker brick BOBCATS 

EXEMPLUM N o 17 

Property Office loft in the Bremer Überseestadt 

Architect Jilmes Lamprecht, Bremen 

Façade Röben hand-moulded facing brick 

MOORBRAND, loam-variegated 


Property Office building “Queenstowers”, Amsterdam 

Architects de Architekten Cie., Carel Weeber, Amsterdam 

Façade Röben clinker brick WESTERWALD, red 

Röben ceramic clinker brick FARO black-nuanced 

EXEMPLUM N o 10

Property Office building “Spreeport”, Berlin 

Architects Kny+Weber, Berlin 

Façade Röben clinker brick NEUMARKT, brick-red 

Fußsortierung 


Property ABC-Tower, Cologne, office building 

with 17 floors 

Architect Engelbert Zepp, Erftstadt 

Façade Röben ceramic clinker brick OSLO, 

carrara-white, Architects sorting grade 


Property Detached house in Amsterdam 

Architect Marc Koehler, Amsterdam 

Façade Röben ceramic clinker brick FARO, 

black-nuanced 


Property Office building, Etten-Leur, NL 

Architects Bedaux de Brouwer, Goirle, NL 

Façade ceramic clinker brick FARO black-nuanced 


Property “Motel One Berlin-Ku´damm” 

Architect Architekturbüro Benedict Tonon, Berlin 

Façade Röben ceramic clinker brick FARO, grey, in 

four architect sorting grades. Glazed Röben 

ceramic clinker bricks in white, red and turquoise 


Property Detached house in Steensel, NL 

Architects Bedaux de Brouwer Architecten, Goirle 

Façade Röben ceramic clinker brick FARO, 

black-nuanced 


77

QUICK, EFFICIENT, ARCHITECTURALLY FRIENDLY: 

BRICK PRE-FABRICATED PARTS FROM RÖBEN 

Good brick architecture is our strength. Realising 

architects' ideas, bringing reality to the thinkable - a 

speciality of the RÖBEN PLANNING SERVICE. The 

service has often made the seemingly impossible 

possible through constructive proposals. And it is by 

discussing things through with architects that pre-fa- 

bricated brick products come into existence that are 

completely developed, pre-produced and seamlessly 

integrated into the façade on site by Röben. Or 

"customised" brick items as special firings, architec- 

tural sorting grades, special shapes or special glazes. 

With Röben everything is possible. It is not just in 

the considerable savings in time and building safe- 

ty that results can be seen for architects but they 

can also be seen in the whole new world of brick 

architecture that is opened up through creative and 

structural options. - Furthermore, the RÖBEN PLAN- 

NING SERVICE gives advice - free-of-charge - on all 

aspects of masonry construction, helps with tenders, 

constructs and calculates components according to 

the architect's wishes, assumes logistics up to the 

building site and follows construction right up to 

completion. Just ask the RÖBEN PLANNING SERVICE. 

We don't do, "no can do"!

Imprint 

Publisher: 

Röben Tonbaustoffe GmbH 

D-26330 Zetel 

Concept and Realisation: 

Werbeagentur Eddiks & Onken, Oldenburg 

Text: 

Bellmann, Gröning & Partner, Hamburg 

Robert Uhde, Oldenburg 

Eddiks & Onken, Oldenburg 

Print and Processing: 

Prull-Druck, Oldenburg 

© Copyright by Röben Tonbaustoffe GmbH 2010 

79

1 

Röben Tonbaustoffe GmbH • Post Office Box 1209 • D-26330 Zetel 

Telephone 0 44 52 8 80 • Fax 0 44 52 8 82 45 • www.roeben.com • info@roeben.com

exemplum - Röben Tonbaustoffe GmbH

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