Gymnasium Langenhagen: Retractable Gates on the Way to the Green Roof

The starting point

Gymnasium Langenhagen, designed by gernot schulz : architektur, features a green roof that students use as an outdoor space. It is reached via an external staircase that rises from ground level, interrupted halfway up by an intermediate landing.
During the day, this open connection is exactly what the school wants. At night, however, the roof should not be accessible – to protect the space and to prevent accidents and vandalism. What was needed was a barrier that closes reliably at night but does not stand out as a foreign element in the architecture during the day.

Why conventional solutions did not fit

A sliding or swing gate is hard to accommodate on a staircase: there is no room for the swing area or a guide rail, and a permanently visible gate or fence would have noticeably changed the look of the stairs and the building. On top of that, the staircase is part of the escape route – any barrier must open safely in an emergency, without anyone having to intervene.

The solution: two retractable gates in the landing

We installed two retractable gates, each 4 metres wide and 1.80 metres high. When open, they sit entirely within the staircase's intermediate landing – virtually nothing remains visible. To close, they rise vertically out of the landing and form a continuous barrier.
The system combines three requirements that often conflict with conventional gates: it is practical in daily use, safe in an emergency and visually discreet. In our view, it was the only solution for this situation that met all three at once.

Safety on the escape route

Because the gates sit on an escape route, they are connected to the building's fire alarm system. When the alarm is triggered, they open automatically and clear the staircase – even if the power supply has failed. This was a decisive point in the design: a gate that depends on electricity in the event of a fire would be unacceptable on an escape route.

Experience in operation

Since commissioning in late 2022 – nearly four years ago – both gates have operated without a single fault. That is no coincidence: we carry out the maintenance ourselves every year. We check not only the mechanics and drive, but also the interaction with the fire alarm system and opening without power.
For safety-critical systems on escape routes, we do not see regular maintenance as an add-on but as an integral part of the project. For the operator, this means one point of contact for supply, installation and service – throughout the entire service life.

Für Planer und Architekten

Retractable gates are a good fit wherever an access point needs to be closed at times but a visible gate would be intrusive: on stairs and landings, roof terraces, driveways or public squares. Design notes, supply-line positions and pit drawings are available in the architects' download area at fancyfence.de
https://fancyfence.de/en/architects-area

We can also supply the reinforced concrete pit as a precast element.

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Project facts

FAQ

• What is a retractable gate?
  A retractable gate operates vertically: when opened, it moves down completely into a pit in the ground. In the open position the full passage width remains clear – with no side space or swing area required.
• Can a retractable gate be used on an escape route?
  Yes. At Gymnasium Langenhagen, the gates sit on an escape route. They are connected to the fire alarm system and open automatically when the alarm is triggered. The connection should be coordinated with the fire safety concept at the design stage.
• What happens during a power failure?
  The gates in Langenhagen open on a fire alarm even without power, clearing the escape route.
• Can retractable gates be installed in stairs or landings?
  Yes. In Langenhagen, two gates are integrated into the intermediate landing of an external staircase. When open, the system is virtually invisible.
• What are the dimensions of the gates in Langenhagen?
  There are two gates, each 4 m wide and 1.80 m high. Width and height are defined individually for each project.
• How often should retractable gates be serviced?
  In Langenhagen we carry out maintenance every year – including checks of the fire alarm connection and of opening without power. We recommend this interval for safety-critical systems.
• Where can retractable gates be used at schools?
  For example on stairs to roofs and green roofs, at driveways, schoolyards or passageways that need to be closed outside school hours.
• Who supplies, installs and maintains the system?
  FancyFence GmbH handles supply, installation and service from a single source – throughout the system's service life.