- Home
- References
- Coloured & Printed Façades
- Nuhma Hasselt
A solar-powered statement — where art, identity and energy share one panel
25 years of climate leadership — made visible on the building
A striking visual emblem for a newly renovated headquarters
Since 1999, Nuhma has been a driving force behind sustainable progress in Limburg. To mark a quarter century of impact, the organisation sought a striking visual symbol for its renovated headquarters on Herkenrodesingel, Hasselt — something that communicated its mission visibly, locally and meaningfully.
Artist Nele Bijnens created the artwork: a reinterpretation of “The Flying Duckman” — a porcelain duck sculpture by Piet Stockmans long displayed in the building’s entrance hall. Bijnens reimagined it with vibrant paint strokes and energetic lines tracing the paths of Limburg’s rivers, from the Demer to the Jeker. The artwork was then digitally translated and printed directly onto two bespoke photovoltaic glass panels by ISSOL®.
Full artistic fidelity — without compromising solar performance
- Reproduce bold colours, fine brushstroke detail and metallic tones — gold, copper, silver — faithfully in PV glass
- Maintain solar efficiency behind and through the full-colour print layer
- Integrate two custom-sized panels into the white façade of a renovated civic headquarters
- Deliver a building element that communicates Nuhma’s identity, mission and values simultaneously
- Prove that infrastructure, identity and innovation can go hand in hand
Why it fits: ISSOL® Fresco transforms photovoltaic glass into a full-colour canvas via a proprietary printing and lamination technique. For Nuhma, this meant reproducing Bijnens’s metallic shades — gold, copper and silver — with the same visual depth as the original artwork, while the panels continue to generate clean electricity. The result is a power-generating façade element indistinguishable in visual ambition from a commissioned mural — but active as building infrastructure. Solar energy, local, meaningful and beautifully integrated.
Parameters for rapid evaluation
| Parameter | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Coloured & printed façade | Opaque full-colour BIPV; façade-integrated artwork panel |
| ISSOL® solution | ISSOL® Fresco | Proprietary printing & lamination; logos, artworks and patterns in solar glass |
| Panels | 2 bespoke panels | Custom size, custom artwork; integrated into renovated white façade |
| Cell technology | Monocrystalline PERC | High-performance cells; opaque module (no transparency) |
| Power density | 100–140 Wp/m² | Typical range; design-dependent |
| Max. panel size | Up to 4,350 × 2,250 mm | Custom shapes and finishes available |
| Colour capability | Full colour incl. metallic tones | Gold, copper and silver reproduced without performance compromise |
| Artwork | Nele Bijnens | Based on “The Flying Duckman” by Piet Stockmans; Limburg river motif |
| Warranty | 10-yr product / 20-yr performance | Standard ISSOL® performance guarantee |
| Completed | 2025 | Marking Nuhma’s 25th anniversary |
“The energy of Limburg’s waterways flows through this duck. Each stroke, each line, tells a story about place, movement and purpose.”
Nele Bijnens — Artist
“This is where ISSOL® makes the difference: combining intense colour, sharp contrast and architectural value — all while generating power.”
Bas van de Kreeke — CEO, ISSOL®
From artist’s canvas to active building skin
