In today’s architecture, large glazed facades are the suit of a building. Creating a glass facade with Coating on Demand is like wearing a tailor-made suit that perfectly fits your needs and shape. This service was designed for demanding projects from the world’s leading architecture firms that demand the best. I am very proud to have played a key role in this challenge.
Short biography
Gregor Ranner, Managing Director of AGC Interpane in Plattling and Lauenförde, Germany started his career in 1987 as a sales intern at Interpane Plattling. Thanks to his non-stop hard work and achievements, he advanced from intern to managing director passing through many other positions on the way. For more than 30 years he has played a decisive role in contract negotiations with renowned facade builders for large international projects, such as Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Germany, King Abdullah Financial District, Saudi Arabia and Hudson Yards New York, USA, to name just a few.
“It all happens in just one day. In the morning, the architect arrives at the AGC Interpane Plattling plant. He wants to create a unique coating – one that does not even exist in our range – for a project he is working on. Using our realistic rendering program, the architect defines the technical characteristics (degree of thermal/acoustic insulation, solar control, safety, etc.) and the aesthetic appearance of the glass. Does he want more blue or pink? Perhaps a golden shimmer? Or maybe more neutral? How does it look in cloudy or sunny weather? The architect refines his choice with the help of realistic computer simulations. Once his choice is made, all of the technical data are sent to the production line. In the afternoon, the architect can view a large sample of his coating on the Glass Shuttle (AGC’s mobile showroom). It is exactly what he had in mind. He can then take away smaller samples assembled into double glazing. This is a true story that took place in July 2016. It was our first, very successful test run before launching this new service in late 2016” Gregor explains.
There are over 4,000 possible combinations of colours and technical performance. “But obviously the software will not let you try to create something that is technically impossible. For example, it will never be possible to have a dark glass with high light transmission. Likewise, only Clearvision glass with a low iron content is used as a substrate because theoretically it allows more variations,” continues Gregor. Why Plattling? “The plant not only has a coater, but also a tempering furnace and, downstream, a double glazing line.”
Coating on Demand is an exclusive service that is only offered to certain major projects. The first building successfully completed was the Hotel Porta Volta in Milan.
Other projects followed, including the prestigious Vista Tower in Chicago. And more are under development. “The response is enthusiastic,” confirms Gregor Ranner, who also revealed that the service is being used by Foster, world-renowned architectural firm in London.
