Windproof Fixscreen covers 12-metre wide windows

For Gare Maritime at the Brussels Tour & Taxis site, Renson was the only manufacturer able to meet the requirements of client Extensa for the windproof sun protection fabric. The original structure of the building has been preserved with the help of a steel support structure placed every 12 metres. The challenge was to make the sun protection fabric completely cover the equally wide windows.

In the 1900s, Gare Maritime served as one of the largest logistics sites in the world for the transport of goods by rail and waterways. After the Royal Warehouse, this old freight station at the Tour & Taxis site was also due for a makeover. It has now been converted into a multifunctional complex with 30,000 m² of offices and 12,000 m² of retail and commercial space.

In total, 1750 m² of Renson sun protection fabric has been installed along the 280 m long façade. The installation of the made-to-measure Fixscreens of no less than 36 m² was a real ‘tour de force’ for the installer, who placed the screens at a height of 13 metres.

The screens block the sun even before it reaches the glass. In a natural and sustainable way, the screens prevent the offices from becoming too warm and keep the light from reflecting on the computer screens. At the same time, a view of the outside can be enjoyed even with the screens down.

“Challenges such as these inspire us to think along with the customer”, says Renson. “The maximum surface of our windproof screens is normally 22 m², but for this project both the fabrics and the fabric boxes were made to measure. Thanks to a special motor and the use of specific fabrics, the screens can withstand a higher wind load.”