At the former site of the old gas storage tank, sbp, together with LAVA and the Heidelberg municipal utilities, realized an innovative energy and future storage facility. The prestressed cable net façade forms a second envelope around a 50-meter-high cylinder with a diameter of 25 meters. The structure serves to store district heating water and is part of the new energy system as well as a central element in the value chain of the local energy supply.
The dynamically shaped sculpture symbolizes sustainability and multifunctionality: it houses a helix-shaped viewing platform, whose staircase freely spirals upward between the storage façade and the cable net. This staircase, together with the cable net, contributes to the stabilization of the entire envelope. The cable net façade consists of galfan-coated, high-strength cables arranged in triangular meshes. The resulting net is supported by the “crown” at the upper edge of the district heating storage cylinder. This crown, with its 15 supports and the cross-bracing between them, forms a stiff truncated cone that safely transfers vertical and horizontal loads to the storage tank.
Thousands of small rhombic panels are hung within the meshes of the cable net; these panels move with the wind, creating a lively, dynamic surface. This effect is impressively highlighted at night by energy-efficient LED lights. The façade construction and viewing platform make the storage facility a distinctive architectural solution, a tourist attraction, and a symbol of Heidelberg’s transition to renewable energy.
