Bringing an industrial icon back to life – Introducing fire safety glazing at the TX Building, Eindhoven
The TX Building at Strijp-T is one of Eindhoven’s best-known industrial landmarks. It was the home of electronics company Philips since the 1950s and has now been converted into modern workspace for high-tech businesses.
Pyroguard supplied more than 2,000 m² of fire safety glass for the project through glazing specialist Glasdesign.
In this Q&A, Stefan van Gerven, Benelux Sales Director and Mark van Tilborg, The Netherlands’ Project Director, discuss the project in more detail, with particular focus on upgrading the fire safety glazing as part of the refurbishment
The TX Building has a long industrial history. What made this project particularly interesting from a fire safety glazing perspective?
Stefan: It’s hard to overstate how important this building is to Eindhoven. Electronics company Philips was the city’s largest employer and this was one of its major production sites. The company behind innovations such as the compact disc manufactured here for decades. The building has real historical significance and it has a great deal of character.
The architect’s brief was to bring the building back to life for a modern purpose. This meant transforming it from a manufacturing site into commercial offices, but keeping as many of the original features and as much of the industrial architecture as possible.
Mark: This is where fire safety came in. A building originally built in the 1920s wasn’t subject to the fire compartmentation or escape route requirements that a modern multi-occupancy office is, so both had to be introduced. The architects didn’t want to see solid walls breaking up the space – they wanted transparency within the compartments so daylight could spread throughout the building, which improves working conditions and the aesthetics of the interior. Fire-resistant glass was essential, particularly along the escape routes.
Pyroguard supplied fire safety glass for use in internal partitions, stairways, escape routes and fire compartmentation zones throughout the building. The design vision centred on maximising daylight and visual connectivity within the vast industrial structure, while ensuring safe evacuation in the event of a fire.
The toughened fire safety glass provides reliable fire integrity and radiant heat control while maintaining high levels of transparency, helping to preserve the open character of the refurbished building.
One of the standout features is the use of timber framing and oak beads with fire-resistant glazing. Why was this such an important part of the design?
Stefan: There’s a strong trend in The Netherlands for taking older steel and concrete structures and refurbishing them with natural materials such as timber and glass. The TX Building is a very good example of this as timber framing was used for the internal walls and partitions throughout the building.
Mark: Originally the building had steel windows with wired glass for fire safety – the majority of these old steel frames could not be used. Therefore new frames were made from oak for the glazed walls and partitions, which divided the large open spaces. The oak enhances the historic feel of the building while clearly belonging to its modern refurbishment.
The detailing was important too. The glazing beads weren’t screwed in place, they were pinned with nails, which has better aesthetics than rows of screw heads in the timber. It also saved a lot of time on site and installation was at least 50% quicker.
What were some of the challenges of incorporating fire safety glazing into a refurbished building?
Mark: On many refurbishment projects the biggest issue is working with what’s already there. For example, existing door frames often have non-standard gaps and if the cavity is too small it can be difficult or impossible to achieve a 60-minute fire rating.
On the TX Building we avoided these issues because all the oak frames were new. They were manufactured to exact dimensions in standard sizes, so the glazing could be specified and installed with confidence.
Stefan: An important consideration was that two different performance levels were needed in different parts of the building. The escape routes required use of EW-rated glass, which provides integrity and reduces radiant heat. For this we supplied Pyroguard Protect T-EW30/13-1 and T-EW60/13-1. Where enhanced protection was needed, for example in the fire compartments, EI-rated glass provided integrity and insulation, which limits heat transfer to the non-fire side. Here we used Pyroguard Protect T-EI30/18-2 and T-EI60/25-3. Getting the right product specified in the right place and making sure it all worked within timber frames, was essential on this project.
How did the project team approach the challenge of maximising daylight and openness while still creating effective fire compartmentation?
Stefan: Transparency was central to the design. The glass is used in internal partitions, stairways, escape routes and compartment walls throughout the building. The project needed glass that could deliver the fire performance and still let light flow through the space.
Mark: Pyroguard was able to meet those requirements. We had test reports covering the glass in timber frames and in large glazed panel sizes, which were essential for this kind of scheme. Our glass also offers very good light transmission. We use mid-iron glass, which has less of a green tint than standard float glass, so you get a clearer, more neutral view through it. That makes a real difference when glazing plays such a key role in keeping a large industrial space feeling open.
The specification also achieves a 1B1 impact classification and offers good acoustic performance and UV stability, all of which matter in a busy modern workplace.
The timber glazing system required an overall assessment by Peutz, including the use of pinned glazing beads. What did that process involve and why was it important?
Stefan: We worked closely with Glasdesign and submitted the solution to fire safety consultancy Peutz for assessment. Peutz confirmed that the complete system, including the pinned beads, met the requirements. A lot of credit goes to Glasdesign’s expertise here, because it meant the solution was confirmed before work started on site.
Glasdesign advised that the glazing beads should be pinned rather than screwed, for aesthetic reasons and ease of installation. Because that was a departure from a conventional screwed detail, everyone wanted to be certain beforehand that it would achieve the required fire performance.
Mark: Fire-resistant glass can’t be considered in isolation. What matters is how the whole system performs: the glass, the frame and the way it’s fixed. A change to any one of those can affect fire performance.
We have taken the same approach with the AMC Hospital project, which also used timber-frames and our glazing with pinned beads, which were installed by Glasdesign. For us, this is now a blueprint for installing fire safety glazing in refurbished buildings using timber frames.
Looking at the finished TX Building, what do you think this project demonstrates about the role fire safety glazing can play in refurbishment projects?
Stefan: We’re seeing a clear trend towards repurposing older and historic buildings instead of demolishing them. That means making them safe, making sure they’re properly tested and certified for fire safety and then giving them a new use for a modern era.
The TX Building shows that fire safety doesn’t have to come at the expense of character or aesthetics. With the right products and the right partners, safety, heritage, daylight, acoustics and occupant comfort can all be designed into the same solution.
Mark: There’s an environmental case too. Reusing a building and its materials saves a great deal of CO₂ compared with demolishing it and building new. Fire safety glazing is one of the things that makes that reuse possible. It enables traditional buildings to meet today’s standards while retaining what made them special in the first place.
