MODERN FIRE SAFETY IN THE ZOOFENSTER HIGH-RISE IN BERLIN

A new high-rise is being built in Berlin near the famous Tiergarten. The 32-story Zoofenster will be the tallest in western Berlin. The building will house luxury suites, office space and a 5-star luxury hotel with conference facilities. The building will be protected with Marioff’s HI-FOG water mist fire protection system. Marioff is a business of UTC Fire & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

As fire safety is a major concern in all high-rises, the builders were faced with a challenge in securing the safety of future residents and guests. The original plans for Zoofenster included a conventional sprinkler system, which would have necessitated additional measures to meet the tough fire protection requirements for the building. Marioff’s HI-FOG water mist fire protection was introduced as an alternative after construction had already started.

“With the fire tests on site, we were able to determine that HI-FOG was the most practical solution for meeting the requirements as well as for optimizing other fire protection measures," says Niklot von Bülow, project manager from Alpine-Bau, the head contractor for Zoofenster.

“We all stood in the lobby replica and experienced the very realistic test. I found the immediate impact on room temperature very positive. You just have the feeling you are in this cool fog and not near a fire. It is very rare that you get to experience a fire firsthand like this”, recalls Dirk-Herbert Rasch, managing director at Ingenieurgesellschaft Grabe mbH., technical consultants for the project.

“We chose HI-FOG because together we were able to find the right solutions for the building owner. The cooperation with Marioff in the tendering phase was very good and trustworthy, and we hope to continue that,” says von Bülow.

The construction project is moving along rapidly now with the official opening planned for late 2011. HI-FOG will protect all spaces in the building, from the floors below ground to the office spaces in the middle and the luxury suites at the top. / ins

Caption 1: The Zoofenster will be protected with Marioff’s HI-FOG water mist fire protection system.
© Marioff Corporation Oy

Caption 2: HI-FOG sprinklers spread water mist to efficiently suppress fires with minimal fire, smoke and water damage.
© Marioff Corporation Oy

About Marioff and HI-FOG®:

Marioff is the leading developer of water mist fire protection technology and supplies system solutions world-wide. The company designs and manufactures all key components of the water mist fire protection system under the name HI-FOG®.

The HI-FOG® Water Mist Fire Protection System is a modern, highly effective fire protection solution against most types of fires, on land and at sea. It safely controls and suppresses fires by discharging a fine water mist at high velocity.

HI-FOG® delivers extremely good performance with very little water: HI-FOG® uses up to 90% less water than conventional sprinkler systems. Heat, smoke and water damage are minimized. Clean-up is fast, keeping operational downtime to an absolute minimum.

Marioff is part of UTC Fire and Security, a company that provides fire safety and security solutions to more than one million customers worldwide. Headquartered in Connecticut in the US, UTC Fire & Security is a business unit of United Technologies Corp., which provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide. More information about Marioff and UTC Fire & Security can be found on their web sites at www.utcfireandsecurity.com and www.marioff.com.

For additional information, contact:

Joachim Gäbler
Managing Director
Marioff GmbH

Handwerkerstraße 3
D-15366 Hoppegarten

phone: +49 (0)3342 211 77-00
mobile: +49 (0)173 5990 233

e-mail: joachim.gaebler@marioff.de
www.marioff.com