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Facts
PROJECT

Riu Plaza de España

COMPLETION

2019

LOCATION

Madrid, Spanien

THE CHALLENGE

Quick and easy installation, safe and durable in operation: These were the requirements for the piping systems that were to be used for the renovation of the high-rise building in the areas of drinking water, piping for the air conditioning systems and sprinklers.

THE SOLUTION

Three products from aquatherm convinced thanks to their special material properties and ensure a smooth operation in the Riu Plaza de España.

APPLICATION

Drinking water
Refrigeration piping
Sprinkler

PRODUCT

aquatherm blue, aquatherm green, aquatherm red

Information

At the Riu Plaza España aquatherm products provide drinking water, cooling and safety – EGuests of the Riu Plaza España have an impressive view over the whole of Madrid.

The four-star hotel, which will not open until summer 2019, is located in the famous Edificio España skyscraper on Plaza de España and is one of the tallest buildings in the Spanish capital, with 27 floors and 117 metres. The Edificio España has a chequered history behind it. It was built between 1948 and 1953 in the neo-baroque style and has been one of the architectural landmarks of the Spanish capital ever since. At that time it was the tallest building in Spain. The first owner was the real estate company Metrovacesa. After several changes of ownership in the 2000s, Mallorcan hotel group Riu Hotels & Resorts finally bought it in 2017 with the aim of establishing a four-star hotel on 24 of its 27 floors. The lower floors are home to a shopping center.

The hotel chain has invested around 400 million euros in the purchase and conversion. The result is an exclusive, modern hotel in a historic setting. In addition to the 550+ rooms, the Sky Bar on the 27th floor with 360-degree views over Madrid is a highlight of the hotel. Guests can also cool off in an outdoor pool connected to the rooftop terrace by a glass bridge. 17 event rooms offer a total capacity for up to 1500 people.

77,000 square meters renovated in 13 months

In addition, the connection technology of the systems was convincing: In “fusion welding”, the pipe and fitting are briefly heated with the aid of tools provided for this purpose and then simply joined together. As a result, the plastic bonds to form a homogeneous, cohesive unit and does not lose its stability at the connection point, which is critical in other systems. The support during the planning by the technical office of the Spanish sales partner aquatherm iberica S.L. in Madrid and the good product availability were also decisive for the decision in favour of the three piping systems.

In the drinking water area a total of five kilometres of aquatherm green in dimensions from 20 to 160 millimetres were installed. The drinking water quality is permanently maintained with this hygienically perfect and odourless as well as tasteless piping system. aquatherm green pipe is not only corrosion resistant, but physiologically and microbiologically harmless and has proven its technical suitability in decades of worldwide application.

In the drinking water area a total of five kilometres of aquatherm green in dimensions from 20 to 160 millimetres were installed. The drinking water quality is permanently maintained with this hygienically perfect and odourless as well as tasteless piping system. Aquatherm green is not only corrosion resistant, but physiologically and microbiologically harmless and has proven its technical suitability in decades of worldwide application.

No corrosion damage thanks to polypropylene

For the piping of the fan coils, which are used throughout the building for air conditioning, the planners decided on aquatherm blue in dimensions between 20 and 250 millimetres. Around twelve kilometers of the pipe were used to ensure the smooth operation of the air conditioning system for many decades. Because: In contrast to steel pipes often used in air conditioning systems, which are particularly susceptible to corrosion on the outside of the pipe, corrosion damage is a thing of the past with aquatherm blue thanks to the material polypropylene.

In the field of fire safety a special sprinkler pipe system was used: aquatherm red is not only certified by numerous testing institutes (for example VdS, IBS, FM Approvals), but also flame retardant (building material class B1), corrosion resistant and offers the highest possible safety thanks to the welding of pipe and fitting. Around 18 kilometres of the piping system were laid and now ensure safety at the Riu Plaza de España.

The installation company Clima Insular and Riu Hotels & Resorts were impressed by how easy and fast aquatherm products can be installed. Furthermore, both companies appreciated the good service offered by aquatherm iberica S.L.. The Arditecnia design office was particularly surprised by the speed of assembly, which was exceptional for such a large construction site.

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