Steigenberger Hotel, Munich-Schwabing
Chemistry to build on
Project Conversion of existing office building into 300-room four-star-plus hotel Use of Sopro system solutions for all waterproofing and tiling works Complex waterproofing operations in guest bathrooms, connection of membrane to bathtubs, installation of walk-in showers with channels Extensive tile laying in entrance and foyer areas
Signboard Design practice
Geplan Design Planungsgesellschaft mbH, Stuttgart
Applicator
Baas GmbH & Co. KG, Elmshorn
Client
Deutsche Hospitality, Frankfurt/Main
Contract volume
300 guest bathrooms, foyer and kitchen areas
Completion
November 2017
Products Sopro DSF 523 one-component flexible sealing slurry Sopro TDS 823 two-component turbo sealing slurry Sopro GD 749 primer Sopro's No.1 flexible tile adhesive (order no. 400) Sopro Brillant® water-repellent tile grout Sopro DF 10 flexible designer tile grout Sopro FL flexible tile grout Sopro FF 450 flexible tile adhesive Sopro AEB 640 waterproofing and separating membrane
Steigenberger Hotel, Munich-Schwabing I www.sopro.com
www.sopro.com
Finished scheme
Steigenberger Hotel, Munich-Schwabing I www.sopro.com
Finished scheme
Steigenberger Hotel, Munich-Schwabing I www.sopro.com
Finished scheme
Steigenberger Hotel, Munich-Schwabing I www.sopro.com
Finished scheme
Steigenberger Hotel, Munich-Schwabing I www.sopro.com
Construction phase
Steigenberger Hotel, Munich-Schwabing I www.sopro.com
Construction phase
Steigenberger Hotel, Munich-Schwabing I www.sopro.com
Steigenberger Hotel, Munich
Transforming offices into hotel rooms
How to turn a high-spec administrative building into a stylish four-star-plus hotel – this was the challenge facing Steigenberger when it decided to convert a former corporate headquarters in Munich into a top-class establishment. The remodelling of high-grade administrative floorspace into chic accommodation necessitated the integration of 300 bathrooms in the office complex. Similarly elaborate works were also needed to transform the imposing 22 m high foyer into an elegant lobby and the former canteen into a sophisticated dining attraction. All waterproofing and tiling works were performed using appropriate the Sopro system solutions. For the Steigenberger Hotel Group, Munich had been a blank spot on the map until the company identified a former office building in the northern part of the Schwabing district as a suitable property. The Group then proceeded to recast the functional administrative building as a premiumclass hotel. Having opened in mid-December 2017, it now stands as the first Steigenbergerbranded establishment in the Bavarian capital. The six-storey office block was only 14 years old, in good condition and ideal for conversion. Office spaces were turned into guest rooms and the full-height foyer was restyled as a lobby with all the flair appropriate to a world-class hotel. At the same time, the one-time canteen, with its full complement of kitchen fittings, became the nerve centre of a new, contemporary gourmet attraction. Even though it was possible to adopt many of the existing elements, the scale of the conversion works was still considerable. After all, the project involved the installation of some 300 bathrooms together with an approx. 300 m2 fitness and wellness suite.
Munich narrative The interior design concept, masterminded by the Stuttgart-based practice Geplan Design Planungsgesellschaft, is a tribute to Munich. The host city pervades the hotel – from reception to guest rooms, from the restaurant and bar ensemble to the wellness suite. Indeed, local colour is the heart and soul of the scheme: robust, no-nonsense materials such as Alpine stone, brushed oak surfaces, pure copper sheeting, leather and loden take centre stage in an exuberant celebration of the down-to-earth Bavarian character. At the same time, state-of-the-art production techniques recall Munich's reputation as a leading technology hub: two-dimensional wood finishing techniques
are used to create prismatic wall panel features. Intricately intertwined wire mesh fencing, fitted as wall ornamentation, recalls an oversize lace doily. Moreover, the building is packed with references that do homage to the regional beer culture. These include an accessible "beer crystal" in the restaurant and bar complex, and wellness facilities installed in a giant brew kettle, all overarched by a sky… full of bottles! A distinctly Bavarian look is also given to the 292 guests rooms and suites, some of which command sweeping views of the Alpine foothills. For incorporation of the 300 bathrooms in the guest rooms and suites, Sopro system solutions were specified for all the necessary tiling works – from substrate preparation to tile laying and grouting – as well as for installing the walk-in showers with channels. The works were performed by the specialist tiling contractor Baas GmbH & Co. KG from Elmshorn. The experienced craftsmen also relied on Sopro's trouble-free system components for the tiling works in the heavy-duty foyer and hotel kitchen areas.
Extensive waterproofing works In large parts of the hotel facility, the actual tiling operations were preceded by the installation of standards-compliant waterproof membranes on the substrate. Of particular note were the complex waterproofing operations in the newly installed guest bathrooms. The waterproofing product used for the bathrooms incorporating tiled walk-in showers with drainage channel was Sopro DSF 523, a flexible, one-component, cementitious sealing slurry used to produce crackbridging membranes and suitable for water action classes W0-I to W3-I under DIN 18534. Bathrooms fitted with bathtubs were waterproofed with Sopro AEB 640 sheet membranes, which were also carried under the tubs. Sopro AEB 640 sheets are made from high-grade polypropylene and faced either side with a special nonwoven fabric that ensures a strong bond between membrane and cementitious tile adhesive.
format coverings in the entrance, foyer, restaurant and bar areas, the choice of tile adhesive fell on a tried-and-tested product from Sopro Bauchemie's trade range that combines high cost-effectiveness with the required technical performance: Sopro FF 450. This flexible, cementitious tile adhesive particularly excels by its strong contact adhesion, good sag resistance and high water retentivity. The low-chromate product is also resistant to water and freeze-thaw cycles. Vital for the applicator, at the same time, is its smooth workability and long open time while its high coverage also guarantees a particularly cost-effective solution. Prior to tiling, the entire substrate was treated with Sopro GD 749, a rapid-drying, highly concentrated, solvent-free synthetic resin primer for high- and variable-suction substrates. The large-format coverings in the entrance, foyer, restaurant and bar areas were grouted with Sopro FL. Another product used to finish the joints, e.g. in the guest bathrooms, was Sopro DF 10, a flexible, cementitious tile grout which, by virtue of its special formulation and OPZ® (Portland cementfree) technology, delivers a brilliantly coloured joint pattern, both indoors and outdoors, with lasting appeal and completely free from unsightly lime films. The inherent water-beading effect coupled with Hydrodur® technology also guarantees long-term protection against mould formation and microorganisms.
Reliable installation, attractive grouted finish Most of the tiling on either membrane was laid with Sopro's No.1, a high-coverage, highly deformable, cementitious, highly polymer-modified, S1-grade flexible tile adhesive (meeting C2 TE S1 requirements to DIN EN 12 004). For the largeSteigenberger Hotel, Munich-Schwabing I www.sopro.com