Expanded metal as a decorative element in the exterior

The history of the ONDREJ NEPELA ice arena in Bratislava began in 1940. It is the oldest ice hockey hall in Slovakia. And as the tooth of decay had made a significant mark on the construction in recent decades, a complete reconstruction was needed. And we couldn't miss it.

It was the reconstruction of the original building. Time and money, however, were the main limitations for a team of architects under the lead of Ing. Arch. Dušan Fischer. The entire reconstruction had to be completed in two and a half years - from the beginning of the assignment to the end of the implementation. And that was a really tight deadline for a project of this type.

As far the exterior is concerned, the idea of architects was clear. They wanted to create a modern, unique, atypical design that will catch your eye at first glance, and at the same time, when you look at it, you will immediately know what the object is for.

 

The whole facade consists of a composition of glass surfaces and steel. And these were exactly the elements which helped to achieve a really perfect appearance of an ice cube.
The architects approached us with a request that they need a special material which will complete the already interesting exterior in a natural way and attract the attention of the surroundings. 

Since the main materials were clearly defined, we recommended the architects to use aluminium expanded metal with a diamond mesh MR 125 x 52 x 24 x 2 mm on the facade of the ONDREJ NEPELA ice arena.

In this case, the priority was to supply the building with a unique, decorative, highly durable, strong and maintenance-free element. The big advantage of this way of cladding is that it works as a ventilated facade. Besides, its secondary effect is definitely worth mentioning as well. The expanded metal also serves as noise and sun protection of the building.

We have to admit that the architects managed to embody the ice cube phenomenon into the facade absolutely perfectly. In addition, by combining glass, steel and expanded metal, you will really create an extraordinary design. Today we can boast that by doing our bit, we helped to create the most modern ice arena in Slovakia.