News from the group of companies: Zeman HDF with the Cavatina Hall project

The new landmark Cavatina Hall: a task for the orchestra of steel construction specialists from Zeman Group

In September 2020, companies of the Zeman Group, Zeman HDF and Waagner Biro steel and glass, received the contract from the real estate company Cavatina Holding S. A. in Krakow to construct the steel structure and building envelope for the new Cavatina Hall music hall in Bielsko-Biała, Poland. The Cavatina Hall is the new landmark of the city, which is known as a ski and hiking center and is now also being developed into a cultural center. The main attraction of the Cavatina Hall is a concert hall with the highest acoustic standard for 650 listeners.

The challenges lay above all in the extremely complex geometry of the steel structure and the snail-shaped glass envelope as well as the tight schedule. After only twelve months of project time, the concert hall welcomed its first artists and guests in September 2021. The concept for the entire building was created by the in-house architects of Cavatina Holding. The semi-circular shape of the concert hall interior is reflected on the outside in the compact, sound-insulating concrete structure, which was clad with a complex steel structure and an extraordinary snail-shaped glass envelope.

Complex geometry in the shape of a snail
The geometry was planned in three dimensions: a model was created that included the concrete body, the steel structure, the glass panes, and the associated connections. Thanks to precise 3D planning, on-site adjustments were reduced to a minimum, as precisely pre-fabricated parts were used. Important here: to reduce manufacturing tolerances to a minimum.

The scope of work for Zeman HDF and Waagner Biro steel and glass was divided into two building sections: the glazed shell of the staircase with 246 glass panes and the almost organically shaped glass shell of the dome with 641 panes. For the staircase, triangular and also three-sided supported insulating glass panes were used to maintain the shape. This was not necessary for the dome, as it is open both at the top and bottom. The laminated rectangular glass panes of the dome are point-supported at the corners and serve not only as an architectural feature but also as wind protection when guests enjoy concert intermissions on the top terrace.

The total glazed area is 1,800 m² and is supported on 1,800 steel elements, which are connected by 870 steel nodes. The total number of glass panes is 887.