New premises for the “TANDEM” hot finishing mill, ELVAL S.A., Oinofyta
ELVAL Hellenic Aluminum Industry, the aluminum rolling division of ELVALHALCOR S.A. (member of the VIOHALCO group) is one of the leading aluminum rolling manufacturers worldwide. Installation of the new SMS “TANDEM” four stand hot finishing mill (2018-2020), an investment amounting to EUR 150 million, was part of a 5 year strategic investment plan to further upgrade the company’s leading position in the global aluminum industry. This new unit will lead to a substantial increase of both production capacity and variety of flat rolled aluminum products, and also paves the way to more demanding markets, such as the automotive and aerospace industries. At the same time, it significantly enhances energy efficiency and reduces the plant’s environmental footprint.
Having participated several times in the past in the design of the company’s infrastructure at the Oinofyta plant, our office was commissioned the architectural design of this project as well.
The “TANDEM” mill and its production space was sheltered within a triplet of 23 m. high metallic buildings that extend to a total area of 8,500 sq.m. and are flanked by the facilities’ support buildings: a 6,000 sq.m. large and 11 m. deep concrete basement houses the mill’s hydraulics and cooling system, a 1,000 sq.m. concrete ground floor shelters the electrical transformers and panels, whereas another 3,000 sq.m. of space arranged on three floors include the various control rooms and the engineers’ offices.
Architectural design included technical optimization of construction details of the various buildings and shells, the circulation and fire-escape planning, as well as the interior design of workspace and offices. We have worked very closely with the facilities’ dedicated engineers leading to solutions that will fulfill their strict ergonomical needs. While satisfying the various, overwhelming and intertwined technical priorities (which often change during construction), our design seeks ways to inject some aesthetical quality to the facilities and upgrade the plant’s overall looks.