Glass installation at the M-Plaza Munich

Heavydrive safely positions large-format panes. Several tonnes of glass, over ten metres in height, must be installed with millimetre precision – a task for the Tapfheim-based installation specialists. Heavydrive installed eight large-format glass elements on the façade of the foyer at Munich's M-Plaza.

M-Plaza in Munich-Thalkirchen is an innovative office and lifestyle complex designed by DÖMGES Architects. The project combines restaurants, cafés and cocktail lounges with a media centre and a modern fitness and spa area. The design is enhanced by spacious, green courtyards and rooftop terraces. The project involves the construction of a sustainable Class A office building made from timber and recycled steel.

The individual glass elements of the façade measured between 2.60 and 3.20 metres (approx. 8.53 to 10.50 ft) wide and between 3.34 and 10.54 metres (approx. 10.95 to 34.58 ft) high, and weighed up to 3,379 kilograms (approx. 7,449 lbs) each. A total of eight glass elements of various sizes were installed.

The VSG 3500 KMH vacuum suction system and the VSG 3000 counterweight system were used. Thanks to the modular design of the Heavydrive vacuum lifting systems, different suction frames could be fitted to the counterweight beam using just a few bolts. This meant that the system could be reconfigured within a few minutes and flexibly adapted to different pane sizes.

Heavydrive carried out the installation with an experienced machine operator, significantly reducing both time and costs. The system's precise control allowed the team to position the panes accurately and without the need for any force. The assignment was originally scheduled to take four days. Working closely with the client Frener & Reifer and the glass supplier Thiele Glas, though, the experienced Heavydrive installation team was able to finish the work after just two days.

"Installations like these clearly demonstrate the importance of experience when working with large-format glass elements, as only the right expertise allows such dimensions to be executed safely and with millimetre precision,” says Günter Übelacker, Managing Director of Heavydrive.