“ALIA Combo” is facing the river Nemunas and the green slope of the second largest city in Lithuania, Kaunas. A 200-space parking lot has been designed at the exterior north-eastern side of the rectangular building, whereas, to the south-west, the slope leads to the pier on the river bank.
During the design phase of the project, the decision was made to increase threefold the existing building’s size. Therefore, it was essential to evaluate the increased loads and closely examine the building’s existing construction parts.

According to the mechanical engineers and the architecture firm, UAB Architects, the renovation the “ALIA Combo” building was demanding, since they had to look up for the original mechanical solutions adopted in the 1970s in order to implement similar architectural ideas and preserve the building’s history.
Indeed, in the 1970s, the building provided rest and catering areas to travellers who were transported to Nida on board the then famous “Raketa” river boats.

 

The main challenge was to achieve protection of the interior of the building against the sun, whereas the conception required an elegant and plain façade with as few materials as possible. This is why Elval Colour’s fire-retardant aluminium composite panels etalbond^®FR, in the tint of Apple Silver, was selected in order to be installed on the building’s envelope in vertical slats of sunshades.
The building is literally next to the river and, therefore, it was essential to select a proper paint system to protect the envelope against the humidity in the atmosphere.

 

The building’s envelope comprises a glazing system suspended on the outer part. A shade screen is installed at a certain distance from the glazing system allowing to manage the incidence of sun rays without impeding the view to the external environment from the interior of the building.
A series of vertical specially designed shutters of etalbond^®FR aluminium composite panels provide shade to the building, in selected parts, protecting it from solar radiation during the morning and afternoon hours. The panels form an undulated succession which becomes denser or sparser depending on the shading needs arising from the sun’s movement. Such vertical elements represent the minimum architectural materials of an austere and plain composition of the building’s façades that keep on changing with the light of daytime.

The paint system of four layers of PVDF was selected as a painting solution satisfying the requirements of aesthetic result and long-term guarantee. Furthermore, the liquid coating technology applied is superior to powder coating, with regard not only to achieving the same colour among panels but also to contributing to the least possible fire propagation on the surface of the aluminium composite panels.

The latest technology solutions were implemented in the construction of “ALIA Combo”, making it possible to renovate the old structure into a new one and offer new quality work spaces in a unique environment.