bvfa honours exemplary fire protection in the listed Deutschhaus in Mainz
The Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament was awarded the bvfa “Sprinkler Protected” seal of approval on 10 July in Mainz. With this award, the bvfa – Bundesverband Technischer Brandschutz e.V. (Federal Association for Technical Fire Protection) acknowledges the exemplary fire protection standard of the Deutschhaus, a listed building dating from 1740. Two years ago, the state parliament building was completely renovated and a modern extension was added. It houses, among other things, the plenary chamber of the Landtag, numerous multifunctional rooms as well as exhibition and event spaces.
bvfa Managing Director Dr Wolfram Krause presented the award to the Director at the Landtag Ursula Molka. “We are very proud that our forward-looking fire protection concept has been awarded,” said Molka. It had been a very special challenge to renovate the historic Deutschhaus. “We are all the more pleased that the efforts of sustainable refurbishment have paid off and that our fire protection concept has convinced the experts.” Krause praised the investment in a full sprinkler system. “This provides optimum protection not only for the MPs and staff, but also for the numerous visitors to the Landtag.” The state parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate regularly opens its doors to numerous children, young people and adults, making it possible to experience democracy “up close and personal”.
Fire protection and monument preservation
In his laudation, Georg Spangardt, former fire director and bvfa expert, emphasised above all the economic synthesis of fire protection and monument conservation. Without a sprinkler system, for example, the skylight dome would have had to be closed in a fire-resistant manner and the glazing of the necessary stairwells would have had to be fire-retardant. The use of the exhibition areas without fire-resistant separation of the escape routes as well as the seating in the lounge and foyer are also only permitted in conjunction with an automatic extinguishing system. The sprinkler system was planned and installed by Dornhöfer Automation und Haustechnik. “The close and trusting cooperation with the client, the architects and the specialist planners were guarantors for the successful implementation of the fire protection concept in this beautiful historic building,” Managing Director Thomas Schmitt is convinced.
The sprinkler system installed during the core renovation plays a central role in the comprehensive fire protection concept of the Deutschhaus. 350 cavity and ceiling sprinklers – some of them on adjustable downpipes – and a 1.4 km long pipe network protect large areas of the building from the basement up to the third floor of the plenary hall. The water supply from a 183 m³ water tank made of water-impermeable concrete is provided by a pressure-maintaining pump and a sprinkler pump with 37 kW power and a delivery rate of 2,400 l/min.
Proven seal of quality for fire protection
With this award, the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament joins a number of notable properties that have received awards for their exemplary fire protection. The bvfa has been awarding the “Sprinkler Protected” seal of approval to public and privately owned buildings with exemplary fire protection since 1993. In the past ten years alone, over 40 exposed properties have received the award from the bvfa, including the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Reichstag in Berlin, the Allianz Arena in Munich and the Kö-Bogen in Düsseldorf.
