With its striking geometry and a TONALITY® terracotta design façade by Leipfinger-Bader, the new residential and commercial property “Polygon” in Bottighofen (Switzerland) sets new architectural standards on Lake Constance. The new building comprises three private apartments and five commercial spaces. The striking terracotta façade makes “Polygon” an unmistakable eye-catcher in the surrounding area. The glossy white terracotta elements were cut into small segments and deliberately arranged in a seemingly random pattern. This gives the façade a lively, varied, yet unified appearance. Furthermore, it is virtually maintenance-free and will retain its appeal for decades. Another special feature: The mounting hooks of the ADS profile have different installation depths, allowing the distinctive overlapping appearance to come into its own.

The new residential and commercial property “Polygon” in the Swiss municipality of Bottighofen is an outstanding example of geometric architecture. The geometry, developed by the St. Gallen-based architectural firms Art of Loft AG and Swiss Baumanagement AG, deliberately breaks with right angles to create a dynamic appearance. The designs from the St. Gallen firms already demonstrate high architectural standards from the outset: a clear design language, generous glass surfaces, and a bold choice of materials. Large windows on every floor allow plenty of natural light into the interior spaces, create transparency, and contribute to the well-being of residents and staff. Despite its distinctive form, the building blends harmoniously into the street layout and its immediate proximity to Lake Constance.

The basement was constructed using solid masonry and houses the garage as well as utility and storage rooms. The floors above combine medical facilities, commercial space, and high-quality residential units, while two penthouse apartments with green flat roofs and wraparound terraces form the top level.

TONALITY® facade: elegance, durability, and character

The facade was intended to reliably reflect the building’s design character. Consequently, the choice fell on a curtain-wall, rear-ventilated TONALITY® terracotta facade from Leipfinger-Bader: a high-end system that combines design sophistication, ecological durability, and economic efficiency. A total of approximately 500 square meters of terracotta elements were installed for this project. The “Glossy White” color has a particularly natural appearance. With this color choice, the façade appears very modern and self-assured on the one hand, while on the other hand it harmonizes with its immediate natural surroundings in the form of Lake Constance and the rural canton of Thurgau. The glossy design effect also conveys high quality without appearing obtrusive.

Minimal Maintenance Requirements

A key feature of this striking, imposing façade is that it will retain its unique appearance for many years—without any loss of quality. In this context, a terracotta façade was deliberately chosen because the elements have proven to be robust and durable over decades. They do not change their surface structure or color due to weather and environmental influences, UV radiation, extreme cold, or heat. This ensures the building’s high-quality appearance in the long term and minimizes maintenance.

Custom-designed

The terracotta elements were deliberately cut into segments of varying sizes and arranged in a seemingly random pattern. This interplay of scale and rhythm creates a lively, varied, yet cohesive facade. This reflects the building’s diverse and unique uses while conveying a sense of cohesive unity.

Overlapping appearance thanks to innovative ADS substructure

In Bottighofen, the system substructure developed specifically by TONALITY® ensures particularly time-saving installation and high efficiency. At the heart of the so-called Adaptive System (ADS) is the specially designed profile. The unique feature of this project: Within the ADS profile, the mounting hooks are arranged at varying installation depths, creating an interlocking installation appearance that adds visual interest to the façade style. This gives the surface a subtle, three-dimensional staggered effect – without the terracotta tiles themselves needing to be cut at an angle. The vertical loads of the diagonally oriented panels are absorbed by a custom joint profile.

Not only secure, but also quick to install

The terracotta elements are designed to be simply hooked into the mounting brackets—a particularly time-saving installation method. The material’s low weight ensures that no lifting equipment is required. This makes handling and proper fastening extremely easy. This also applies to the subsequent replacement of terracotta elements. Because the Adaptivagraffen profile is self-supporting, it can be fastened directly to the primary substructure with minimal effort. Together, these advantages ensure a high level of safety on the one hand and significant time savings during installation on the construction site on the other. This is an important factor given often tight schedules and limited personnel resources.

Unconventional geometry consistently translated into terracotta design

The building’s extraordinary geometry and the deliberate departure from right angles are consistently reflected in the façade design. Not only was the TONALITY® terracotta tile installed at a striking 35-degree angle, but the three street-facing facade surfaces were also designed as cantilevered, overhanging elements. The design consistency is particularly striking in the window surrounds: Here, the principle of asymmetrical geometry was carried through to the finest detail—not a single angle of the reveals, lintels, or window sills is repeated. Each opening thus receives an individual, dynamic frame that underscores the building’s avant-garde character and impressively demonstrates the design possibilities of terracotta façade systems.

Architecture, Materials, and Technology in Harmony

With the “Polygon” project, TONALITY® demonstrates both design versatility and technical expertise. The terracotta façade combines design freedom with durability and offers architects, planners, and investors a wide range of aesthetic and functional possibilities—coupled with the benefit of longevity. Furthermore, the system substructure is not just any standard product, but a sophisticated solution developed by TONALITY® through years of research and development.

Construction Signboard

Construction Project: New construction of the “Polygon” residential and commercial building, Bottighofen, Switzerland
Client: Alois Voney AG, Bischofszell, Switzerland
Concept, Building Permit Application, Construction Drawings: Art of Loft AG, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Planning and construction management: Swiss Baumanagement AG, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Facade construction: SFT Swiss Fassaden Technik AG, Jegenstorf, Switzerland
Facade installation: Rieser & Schönenberger AG, Sulgen, Switzerland
Curtain-wall facade (substructure/terracotta elements): Leipfinger-Bader, Vatersdorf (TONALITY®)
Construction period: 2023 to 2024

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