Both the Federal Court of Justice buildings and the Federal Constitutional Court buildings in Karlsruhe were recently extended. 

All areas were fitted with new roller blinds – with fabrics by Junkers & Müllers

The extension works for the Federal Court of Justice were completed in 2005. The new modern building’s homogenous natural stone facade creates an attractive interplay with the Grand Ducal palace.

Due to the five metre-high ceilings of the original building it was decided to use mostly vertical blinds whereas all 250 windows in the new part were fitted with roller blinds made from Arcu Alu, a fabric by  .

The selection criteria focused in particular on a high degree of transparency together with excellent glare protection and of course flame retardancy, which is mandatory for all public buildings.

A special fabric

The special fabric Arco Alu made from Trevira CS was developed as a textile sun protector by JM and comes in a sophisticated transparent grid design. The reverse side of the fabric has been aluminium vapour coated that reflects incoming light whilst offering warmth insulation. The material is suitable for computerised work environments by ensuring glare and reflection-free screens.

This May, both the renovation as well as extension works at the Federal Constitutional Court were completed. Interior designer Mario Öhlinger from the company Textile Wohnideen in Karlsruhe was assigned to both buildings by the building authorities. “I was happy to recommend the fabric for use in the Federal Constitutional Court buildings after already gaining positive experiences with it in the Federal Court of Justice,” he explains. “The fabric really fulfils all the requirements 100% and also stands out with its excellent hanging characteristics.” The hanging characteristics are of particular importance in the original Federal Constitutional Court buildings because of the unusual window size which demands extra- large roller blinds. After all, the largest windows measures 3.8 metres high by 3.45 metres wide.

The buildings that required new window dressing could not have been any more different in their design. The 19th century palace housing the Federal Court of Justice, the modern new extension with its clear linear design and finally the Federal Constitutional Court from the 1960s with its architecturally matching extension. Arco Alu’s subtle colouring and high degree of transparency integrates easily with these diverse building styles.

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