Stainless Steel World Magazine March 2026 | Page 38

Ithra at a glance

The smooth transition from round tubes to flattened oval profiles in front of the windows allows natural daylight to enter without disrupting the façade. Photo: seele be more than mere protection: It was designed to embody the concepts of progress, innovation and the future, as well as emphasising the organic forms and bringing them to life through the constantly changing reflections of the sun and sky. Each tube is unique and has been individually curved to follow the“ pebble” shapes. In total, around 70,000 tubes were produced, stretching 350 kilometres in length. The distance between each individual stainless steel tube is exactly 9.9 millimetres. This precision gives the 30,260 square metre tube façade its flawless uniformity and flowing aesthetics. The only exception to this rule are the window areas, where the tubes transition into flattened oval tubes, known as‘ squashed tubes’. These are spaced further apart to allow more daylight inside. The tubes are not mounted directly onto the supporting structure. Instead, they rest on a weatherproof, modular substructure made of standing-seam metal panels, which serves as an intermediate layer. On this surface, a second, self-supporting grid of pins carries the tubes while compensating for thermal expansion— a necessary measure given the extreme outside temperatures. The static support system behind this consists of a polygonal steel frame complemented by 2,170 square metres of insulating glass in the oasis rooms, as well as glued laminated timber supports with double glazing.

From simulation to perfect form The façade construction specialist seele was responsible for planning, manufacturing, and installation. Each of the 70,000 duplex tubes was individually processed based on a detailed 3D dataset and model that defined not only the geometry but also the position, torsion, and installation order for each tube. An internally developed C # software connected the bending and measuring machinery, enabling them to“ learn” from every production step. This self-optimising process reduced

Hartmann Edelstahlrohre GmbH supplied high-quality tubes made of 1.4462 duplex for Ithra’ s iconic stainless-steel façade. Photo: Dreamstime

waste to less than three percent, despite the high strength and spring-back of the duplex material not allowing for corrections. Simulation was an essential part of process reliability: Engineers worked backwards from the façade’ s final shape to determine how each straight tube had to be bent to achieve perfect alignment, the bending operation was virtually simulated, and all parameters were validated. Even drilling for mounting holes and shading functions were integrated into the digital bending process. Within just four months, a fullscale 3D model of the entire stainlesssteel façade was created, allowing seele to determine the precise installation sequence.

QR-codes as a digital assembly guide After processing, each tube was temporarily marked with a QR code and laser engraving, containing all relevant data about geometry, position and order of assembly. These were automatically applied to the tube, making each component uniquely identifiable. The tubes were individually packaged, protected at the ends with padded plugs and loaded into transport crates in a precisely defined order. This enabled the on-site assembly team to immediately identify each tube using a scanner and install it precisely according to the digital construction plan – without any reworking, subsequent deliveries or adjustments on the construction site. This comprehensive system of digital planning, data-based manufacturing and seamless logistics from seele enabled the implementation of the technologically complex façade even under extreme climatic conditions.

38 Stainless Steel World March 2026 www. stainless-steel-world. net