The building is located at the entrance of Stuttgart’s new Europaviertel, one of the most acknowledged inner city developments of Germany – and it forms an impressive landmark. Towering 61 meters over the area in the heart of the city, it combines a Steigenberger luxury hotel on its first seven floors with 36 business apartments and 19 owner-occupied flats above – plus an exclusive 500 m² penthouse on top. Planned as a high-quality project, Cloud N° 7 was destined to set design and technological standards. Therefore Swiss-American architects’ firm tec ARCHITECTURE developed a stunning façade, consisting of curved glass and metal railings.

“Cloud N° 7 is a project whose design was developed with passion, whose form was conceived with heart and soul and whose functionality fulfills highest demands.”

Sebastian Knorr
tec ARCHITECTURE

But besides the design, also functionality, newest technology and sustainability were in the renowned planners’ focus. For the exterior walls they wanted a solution that features low weight as well as good sound and thermal insulation. With a building of this height, also a high wind resistance was a vital issue for the architects. Fulfilling all these requirements and topping them off with easy and fast installation, the Knauf Exterior Wall with AQUAPANEL^® Technology quickly proved as the best solution. As a complete system it enables weight savings of up to 75 % while being extremely robust. It easily withstands high wind loads, which makes the system the perfect choice for the upper storeys, high above Stuttgart’s city centre.

“The construction of this type of wall is a challenge, as it has to be done very precisely. On the other hand we are highly motivated by the positive experience at Cloud N° 7, as this type of work clearly will be the future of the industry.”

Florentina Ortner
Baierl & Demmelhuber, contractor

Being a highly exclusive, design-oriented project, especially in the privately owned top-storey flats the wishes of the owners were of highest importance – also when it came to the façade design. Demands for individual window sizes or positions were to be regarded and respected, even on short notice during the running construction process. The Knauf Exterior Wall with AQUAPANEL^® Technology was a highly useful solution to cover these demands. One of the system’s main components is the drywall construction board AQUAPANEL^® Cement Board Outdoor. These cement boards are highly flexible, which starts with their handling, allowing easy cutting and snapping and also the construction of individual shapes like rounded windows. Thanks to this state-of-the-art drylining technology, the owners now can enjoy new perspectives of Stuttgart, from their exclusive Cloud N° 7.