Comair
Location:
Kempton Park, South Africa
Architect/Specifier:
Wim Swart
Comair is South Africa's second-largest airline, second only to South Africa Airlines, the country's national carrier. The company represents an important aviation provider in the region, operating a number of flights within South Africa and to nearby destinations. For the company's offices in Kempton Park, South Africa, architect Wim Swart designed an aggressively angular building that recalls the shape of a delta-wing aircraft. The structure is bordered by a horizontally mounted bank of Hunter Douglas sun louvers that ward off the worst of the African sun. By shading it from high sun angles, the louvers deflect significant heat gain and glare. Swart's building also features high-performance sandwich-wall façade cladding from Hunter Douglas, which create an ultra-flat surface again recalling the skin of an airplane. The façades also deliver superior acoustical and thermal protection.