Meeting the highest standards: multiple awards for Hall 3C

Hall 3C wins tremendous prize from the highest level: the German Society for Sustainable Building (DGNB) has awarded the latest Nuremberg exhibition hall its “platinum” certificate for outstanding sustainability. According to the DGNB, there is no other exhibition hall worldwide with standards comparable to those of Halls 3A and 3C at NürnbergMesse. The exemplary fire protection system in the new hall was also awarded “Sprinkler Protected” quality certification by the Federal Association for Technical Fire Protection (bvfa). For NürnbergMesse CEO Dr Roland Fleck, the two awards are an endorsement of the hall design: “We know that our customers, i.e. exhibitors, visitors and organisers, are impressed by these halls designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. But we are absolutely delighted that aspects like architecture, functionality, sustainability and safety are now also being commended by the experts.” His fellow CEO Peter Ottmann also emphasises the image-enhancing function of the new halls: “Bringing people together is the core element of our strategy for the future. Halls 3A and 3C are therefore the built embodiment of this recipe for success by NürnbergMesse, because they offer much more than conventional exhibition halls. Both of these gems have become a genuine image factor overall for the Nuremberg exhibition venue.”

With a total compliance score of 90.5%, Hall 3C was awarded the “platinum” certificate by the auditors from the German Society for Sustainable Building (DGNB). This impressive result followed the fulfilment of a number of stringent criteria. NürnbergMesse had worked closely with the DGNB auditor and his team to take account of ecological, social and economic aspects.

One important criterion, for example, is the proportion of daylight in the overall lighting. There is a very high amount of daylight in the new Hall 3C, which features two fully glazed sides with a total glass surface of 3,000 square metres. As soon as it is dark, efficient LED lamps provide the lighting. The very good air quality in the hall, which was achieved by using low-emission construction materials, also contributed to the award by the DGNB. For example, only building materials with very low emissions and SVHC concentrations, FSC and PEFC certified timber and halogen-free materials were used. A mechanical ventilation system also ensures a supply of fresh air to the hall. Thanks to a highly efficient heat recovery system with rotary heat exchangers, energy savings of around 80% are achieved. Moreover, the new hall’s high quality building envelope and technology mean that it underscores the minimum requirements of the German Energy Saving Regulation by 75%. Modern building management technology controls energy consumption during trade fair operations and optimises it continually.

To ensure that the new Hall 3C also works well for people with disabilities, NürnbergMesse had involved the City of Nuremberg's Council for the Disabled as early as the design phase. Valuable insights from these exchanges have been incorporated into the new building. In this context, NürnbergMesse also took up the recommendations of the Leben Pur Foundation (“Toilets for All” project) and installed WCs for people with disabilities on both levels of 3C. High colour contrasts for route layout and hall facilities ensure ease of navigation around the hall, even for visually impaired people. Guidance systems for the blind are also available.

The fire protection system in the new Hall 3C is also an award-winner. This was confirmed by the “Sprinkler Protected” quality certification from the Federal Association of Technical Fire Protection (bvfa). This distinction is regarded as the leading award for preventive technical fire protection in Germany and has been presented for the last 20 years to public and private buildings with exemplary fire protection. To improve the safety of building users in the event of a fire, only halogen-free building materials that do not give off any corrosive and noxious fumes when burning were used. Not just the electrical cables, but also the flooring and insulation in the usable area were made from halogen-free, low-smoke materials.