Akademie der Bildenden Künste

About this project

The 1950s Nuremberg Academy of Fine Arts, undergoing restoration since 2012, recently completed its initial phase. Nestled near the Tiergarten, the pavilion buildings designed by Sep Ruf harmoniously integrate with the natural surroundings. The complex is being renovated (planned and executed) over more than a decade by Brenne Architekten, in accordance with its monument status, as the academy was rightly placed under monument protection in 1988. The original Uw-value of 3.8 W/m²K revealed an energy-related issue with the existing window systems. Achieving a Uw-value of 1.5 or less without violating limits for listed buildings and without compromising the original minimalistic detailing, was a challenge as well as replicating the overall profile depth in order to integrate an extremely wide spacer between both glass panes. Drawing from positive experiences renovating the Bauhaus building in Dessau, Brenne Architekten navigated discussions with listed building authorities for the Academy’s renovation. The original design of the steel windows from Nuremberg’s Rieth + Sohn in Bauhaus institute Dessau served as a model. The replica needed to enhance energy efficiency while preserving the original window detailing. After extensive research, only MHB was able to achieve all these requirements with its innovative production process of thermally insulated solid steel profiles.