The former Sphinx site in Maastricht, close to the city centre, is in full development. One of the projects is the Les Mouleurs apartment complex, which has been realised through collective private commissioning (CPC). An extraordinary building which has been nominated as Residential Building of the Year 2020. A beautiful and safe entrance to the complex’s car park was essential. After all, the car park is often the first time residents are introduced to the building. What’s more, the access to the car park has been incorporated into the facade, making it directly visible from the street. That’s why we, as the supplier of fast Speedgates, were asked to help think about the design of the entrance to the car park.
It was crucial to create an appropriate look and feel, partly as a result of its location in the middle of an inner-city area. The architect had given this a lot of thought beforehand. The expanded metal from the Fresco range was chosen for the Speedgate’s cladding. A robust, wear-resistant cladding, which takes on a transparent and modern look by cutting and stretching the metal. This expanded metal had to come from Bergamo in Italy. Quite a challenge during the current corona times. We initially fitted the Speedgate with temporary cladding to ensure the completion of the flats was not delayed. Fortunately, we have since been able to replace it with the final expanded metal version.
We were also asked to use our expertise where the technology was concerned. There was a limited amount of space available on the car park ramp. This presented a challenge where the opening of the right wing was concerned. That’s why we decided to implement the Speedgate asymmetrically. This resulted in the panels fitting perfectly when opening. A technical masterpiece with millimetre accuracy. And certainly just as important: completely safe in accordance with EN 13241-1 for personal safety.
Residents can operate the access gate from their car with their hand-held transmitter. And when they’re on a bicycle? They can operate the Speedgate with their access pass. They will also have the option of only half opening the gate. The half-open position is ideal for ensuring motorists can’t use the ramp at the same time as cyclists or pedestrians. So safe and practical.
