W O R L D W I D E W E AV E

Mediamesh®

Illumesh®

GB

W O R L D W I D E W E AV E

CreativeWEAVEform function solution

GKD – Gebr. Kufferath AG, an owner-managed technical weaver, is world market leader in thefield of woven metallic architectural and design fabrics. Seven production facilities, two in Germany,the others in the USA, United Kingdom, Spain, South Africa and China, a branch in Dubai and agentsall over the world ensure that GKD is always close to its worldwide market partners.

ag4 media facade GmbH bundles the expertise of its own architects and media specialists in the discipline of “mediatecture”, a discipline invented by ag4 itself. In collaboration withexperts for multimedia, urban planning and communications, ag4 develops integrated solutions formedia façades. Renowned reference projects speak for the company’s integrated competence.

GKD – Gebr. Kufferath AGMetallweberstraße 46D-52353 Düren Germanyfon: +49 (0) 2421-803-0fax: +49 (0) 2421-803-227e-mail: creativeweave@gkd.dewww.creativeweave.de

ag4 media facade GmbHAm Kölner Brett 8D-50825 Köln Germanyfon: +49 (0) 221-912 732 -0fax: +49 (0) 221-138 660e-mail: request@mediafacade.comwww.ag4.de www.mediafacade.com

Your contact worldwide:

GKD – USA Inc.825 Chesapeake Drive P.O. Box 315Cambridge, Md. 21613 U.S.A. fon: +1-410-221 0542 fax: +1-410-221 0544e-mail: sales@gkdusa.com www.gkdmetalfabrics.com

GKD – Buismet (Pty.) Ltd.Aureus Ext. 3Cnr. Fiat and Chrysler Streets RSA-1759 Randfontein South AfricaP.O. Box 6175 RSA-1767 Greenhills South Africafon: +27-11-412 47 70 fax: +27-11-412 48 23e-mail: gkdrsa@gkd.co.za

GKD – UK Ltd.Unit 14, By-Pass-Park EstateSherburn in Elmet LS25 6EP Great Britainfon: +44-1977-686410 fax: +44-1977-686411e-mail: sales@gkd.uk.com

GKD Beijing Ind. Technologies Co., Ltd.Hongfu Industry Garden Bei Qi Jia Town, Changping District Beijing 102209 P.R. Chinafon: +86-10-5165 9618 fax: +86-10-8178 6484e-mail: gkd@gkd-china.com www.gkd-china.com

GKD Team FranceB.P. 21 Route de St. AnneF-13640 La Roque d’Anthéron Francefon: +33-4-42 50 70 29 fax: +33-4-42 50 71 40e-mail: teamfrance@gkd.fr www.gkd.fr

FINSA Arquitectura S.L.Joan Monpeó 144E-08223 Terrassa (Barcelona) Espanafon: +34-93-786 1861 fax: +34-93-785 8359e-mail: finsa@finsa-arquitectura.com www.finsa-arquitectura.com

GKD (Middle East) Branch Office DubaiGerman Business CentreSharaf Shipping Building 1/F, #102 Al Minh RoadBur Dubai United Arab Emiratesfon: +971-4-352-3043 fax: +971-4-359-9950e-mail: dubai@creativeweave.de

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CreativeWEAVEform function solution

mesh media Top: T-Mobile Headquarter, Bonn/GermanyBottom: LEDs – high-luminosity lighting solution

The medialization of architecture is conquering public space. The particular challengelies in the conservation of transparency while offering an economic solution. Charged withimages, messages or symphonies of color, media can give architecture a hybrid character.On the one hand, the static effect of architecture is revoked; on the other hand, the spectator is invited to think. But the quality and effectiveness of media façades dependultimately on the successful tuning of the intricate interplay between communicative pur-pose, design-technical implementation and energy efficiency.

Apart from projection and back-projection – both of them techniques that only work atnight, which require the creation of special projection surfaces and the deployment ofextremely expensive projectors at precisely determined positions – billboards are the conventional procedure for the medialization of façades.

The rapid technological development of high-quality and high-luminosity semi-conductors, light emitting diodes, or LEDs for short, has now cleared the way for the dis-playing of large-scale media content on building façades. As a holistic, visionary lightingsolution, LEDs combine high luminosity with longer service life, smaller component sizeand the possibility of controlling them easily via Internet from any PC. A conventionallightbulb produces 3 lm/W; a halogen lamp 20 lm/W; an LED 60 lm/W. So an LED is twentytimes more efficient than a lightbulb. The smaller the distances between the image dots,or pixels, the greater the resolution and the better the image quality.

The company ag4 has developed an alternative to conventional designs for electronicfaçades: the principle of the transparent media façade. This approach is based on theintegration of LEDs into optically translucent, permanently installed carrier systems – com-bined with a strategic communications concept specific to each individual building whichis realized in the form of an individually tuned display software. Another speciality lies inthe invisible technology that allows high-quality images to be displayed even in daylightconditions.

Media:using architecture

to communicate messages.

It is often the aesthetics of the textile-like structure of GKD’s wire mesh – originally a purelyindustrial material – which provides the initial impulse for the use in architecture anddesign. Supple and reflective, full of rhythm and tension, opaque or almost totally trans-parent depending on the light incidence: woven wire mesh for façades, partition screensor walls has sensual qualities. This effect is further enhanced by the weavable width ofup to 8 m combined with practically unlimited length. Wire mesh follows any kind ofarchitecture – as a versatile and apparently seamless outer skin.

It is the interplay of this creative potential with the outstanding functionality of the material that explains the success of GKD wire mesh. Whenever high-quality aestheticsand demanding architectural requirements have to be brought into harmony stainlesssteel wire mesh reveals its real strengths.

The flexible cables running the length of the woven panels are interwoven with robustweft wires. This makes the mesh flexible and at the same time stable. Its enduring resis-tance to weathering and corrosion, its fire-resistance, easy maintenance and recyclabilityall qualify the material as a long-lasting protection against rain, wind and sun.Additionally, used as safety balustrading or as a climatic membrane the metallic fabricoffers functional added value for intelligent facility management. Worldwide, the uniqueappearance of GKD wire mesh characterizes the façades of high-rise buildings, stadiums,museums, cultural centers, hotels, airports and – frequently – of car parks.

Top: Alpenland Wohnbaugenossenschaft, St. Pölten/Austria. Mesh type: PC-Omega 1530Bottom: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid/Spain.Mesh type: Escale 7x1

Wire mesh:intelligent synthesis of aesthetics

and function.

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Mediamesh® can be woven and finished in any size or special shape, individually tuned tothe envisaged application and the image quality required. The medialized mesh can beused around the clock for any kind of display, ranging from simple graphics to video quality.The decisive factor for the image resolution is the ratio of horizontal (from 4 to 40 cm) tovertical pixel intervals (from 6 to 40 cm): the denser the pixels, the finer the resolution.Another important factor is the viewing distance of the spectator: the closer one stands tothe image, the closer the pixels must be to each other. For reasons of cost efficiency, it maybe advisable to reduce the pixel density in the mesh. For example, for graphics a minimumviewing distance of 20 m is recommended and ideally a distance of 50 m or more. Withthe appropriate resolution a display can be seen from as far as several kilometers. Hereindividually tuned display software compensates for the lower resolution. Generally speaking there are three planning parameters which determine the specific technical construction of Mediamesh®: the viewing distance, the size of the media surface and thetype of video display software.

In contrast to LED boards and temporary single pixel systems, Mediamesh® is perma-nently weather and temperature resistant – it can even be installed beneath an ice surface.The mesh, adapted to the individual architecture and equipped with pixels that can betriggered individually, has no particular effects on the façade construction owing to lowsurface weight and wind loads imported to the structure. Another relevant aspect – especially in the case of large surfaces – is the considerably cheaper installed cost ofMediamesh®. In contrast to LED boards, conventional media formats like 16:9 and 4:3 donot have to be complied with. This flexibility of formal alignment allows this new electronicmedia to be integrated into architecture without compromising its design proportions.Thanks to the extraordinary appearance of the stainless steel mesh carrier structure,Mediamesh® is the only pixel-oriented media façade system which functions both as aspectacular medial skin and, when switched off, as a decorative mantle. The lightness ofthe integrated LED technology preserves the textile-like transparency of the wire mesh andtransforms it into an intelligent platform for complex visual content. The system reallyshows its magic when logos or animated symbols appear in isolation on the transparentwire mesh. Then they form a mysterious overlay which perfectly fuses the architecturalreality behind the mesh with a world of virtuality.

Cross-section of LED profile

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mesh goes mediaStainless steel wire mesh with interwoven LED profiles provides a permanent,integrated and intelligent medialization of architecture. In an alliance of strengths, GKDand ag4 have developed Mediamesh® as a system that combines all the product advan-tages of wire mesh and IT-based LED technology. The basis is a woven cable mesh, forexample, GKD’s mesh type “Tigris“. Sleeves are woven into its warp cables at predefinedintervals. These form the mechanical interface for special round profiles into which theLEDs are inserted and sealed with a waterproof resin. The profiles, open at the front, areinserted into the sleeves in the cable mesh which is woven to the specified width andlength. 16 of these profiles are interconnected by cables. Completely prepared and finished,the Mediamesh® is rolled up and transported to the building site ready for installation.

After the installation, the supply of power and data to the LEDs is handled by control units– consisting of a power source and electronic components – which can for example beconcealed in the ceiling and connected to a central server located in the building. Once allthe cables have been connected the Mediamesh® display can be operated via the Internet– in an unusually generous color depth of 36 bit at a frame rate of 400 Hz. Power con-sumption for a 2,000 sqm façade will average 70 to 90 kW/h; for 500 sqm 15 to 22 kW/h.Maintenance is also uniquely simple within the patented construction of Mediamesh®:individual LED profiles or control units can be easily replaced if necessary.

Individually addressable pixels

Minimalized technology maintains transparency

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Mediamesh®:transparent platform

for complex content.

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Illumesh® is especially suitable for large-scale, nighttime illumination of façades. Thiscreative illumination is achieved through intelligent implementation at a relatively lowexpenditure, with the high-performance LEDs lighting up the complete surface of thestainless steel wire mesh structure. From a distance, the media technology in the profilesmounted in front of the mesh blends with the structure of the mesh – what you see is theillumination, not the technology.

The quality of the illumination depends on the relationship of the horizontal and verticalpixel intervals. The recommended ratio is a vertical interval for the LED profiles of 50 to400 cm and a horizontal pixel interval of more than 4 cm. Depending on the interval between the profiles, Illumesh® offers a wide spectrum of visual design potential, rangingfrom changing color effects to complex animation and limited graphic performance. Tooptically enhance a building at relatively low cost, an individually programmed lightingconcept can address each individual pixel in every color and thus create a color depth ofup to 16 million colors which are well reflected by the wire mesh.

Compared to conventional lighting systems, the arguments for Illumesh® are its higherimage resolution and its maintenance-free operation. In addition, the robust, weather andtemperature resistant properties of the projection system guarantee excellent functionality,making Illumesh® the perfect choice for a permanent, transparent media surface fornighttime illumination which can be operated via the Internet.

Illumesh® façades have plenty of magic of their own. The projection of the monochrome LEDlight structure on the round stainless steel wires creates a three-dimensional optical effect. Achange of the viewing angle adds extra dynamics to this effect as the light rays seem to movewith the spectator, apparently changing their direction from vertical to diagonal.

Magical color effects on a round façade

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mesh goes media

A second type of stainless steel wire mesh, again a result of the cooperation between GKD and ag4, also uses LED profiles to create nighttime illuminations on mediafaçades. Illumesh® works with a system integrated illumination of the mesh. The backboneis also created on GKD looms: special fixtures are woven into the mesh panel horizontallyat intervals of 50 to 400 cm and accommodate round profiles – the same profiles as usedin Mediamesh®. With Illumesh®, however, the opening in the profiles is directed inwardstowards the mesh. The angle at which the mesh is illuminated determines the size of theilluminated area. A chain of insulated cables is woven into the edges of the mesh. Afterinstallation on the building, this system supplies power and data to individual groups of16 LED profiles. As with Mediamesh®, the corresponding control units are installed in theceilings of the building and are connected to a central server.

Illumesh® – detailed view of profile

Illumesh® : media façade with integrated illumination.

Spiked metal sheet for protection against pigeons

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Top and bottom: graphics and color effects –combination of Illumesh® (left) andMediamesh® (right) on various buildings

As a face turned to the outside world, every façade makes a statement. In additionto its traditional role as protection against cold and heat and undesired entry, as an independent “inter-space” the façade passes information inwards and outwards, andbridges interferences. For this reason, the architecture of façades has always reflected theadvance of technology. Media façades exploit the fascinating scope of electronically controlled forms of expression. These transform static façade designs into a reciprocalinteraction of architecture and media content. As an integral component of architecturewith dynamic validity, Mediamesh® and Illumesh® make it possible to create a technolog-ically visionary media façade.

In their function as a symbol of identity, transparent media façades made of Mediamesh®

and Illumesh® turn the particular architecture into a vivid experience and communicatethe processive development of corporate identity by picking up on the architectural notions and translating and extending them. But they never dominate the building itself.Due to their transparency, they form a medialized skin which is completely adapted to thearchitecture. Just like the skin of a human being, a transparent media façade, thanks tothe textile-like structure of the wire mesh, is still attractive even without illumination, or,to maintain the simile, without make-up. In addition, such a façade makes it possible toredesign old façades of existing buildings without intervention into the actual substanceof the building.

The precondition for the success of a transparent media façade is a sound concept forcontent and context, to ensure that the relationships between the inhabitants of the build-ing, their message and their respective surroundings are made visible, and that space is availa-ble for advertising purposes, if required. As an integrated solution, Mediamesh® andIllumesh® represent the synthesis of a highly functional, technical product, of an individualdesign precisely tailored to the required content, and of sustainably valid content itself.

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mesh goes mediaThe combination of Mediamesh® and Illumesh® exploits the potential of this integrated,transparent media façade system to the full. Especially with very large surface areas it isadvisable, for individual accentuation and for cost efficiency, to set up separate zones withdifferent image resolutions. For animated graphics like brands, art-graphic animations orheavily processed video images the LED resolution required is half of that needed for adirect video display. So wherever a lower resolution will suffice for the display of letters,symbols or color effects, Illumesh® is the system of choice. For media design involvinggraphics or video, parts of the surface can be equipped with Mediamesh®.

The interplay of the two mesh systems enhances the façade both visually and emotionally.Skillful media design takes the distance of the spectator into consideration and synchronizesthe separate sections of varying resolution into a unified, allround dramatic experience.The optical overlaying of the different display forms creates the impression of a doublemedia veil. Another fascinating aspect of the combination of the two systems is the trans-parency of the medialized wire mesh. This ensures the seamless adaptation of the individ-ual architecture even when the media façade wraps the whole building thus preservingthe identity of the building no matter how large the media display. Against the significantbackdrop of the architecture, video images fuse with dramatic color effects which dissolvethe concrete images, only to set them free again as the dynamic seeds of new images.

Great attention is therefore paid to conceptualizing content for such installations. Onlya display concept individually developed for the specific project can ensure an authenticharmony between the media message and the respective architecture, and so achieve aperfect balance between expenditure and performance. This makes tailormade softwarealongside sustainable service essential elements for success.

Top and bottom: translucent dramatics – Illumesh® (left) and Mediamesh® (right)

Inspiring interplayof Mediamesh® and Illumesh®.

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Transparent media façades:wire mesh mantle as an

illuminated symbol of identity.

Checklist for media façade.

For GKD and ag4, service means partnership from the start. This checklist will help you toget an overview of the essential parameters for the planning of your media façade.

What is the surface area of the planned media façade?

What is the minimum viewing distance from the façade?

What is the aim of the video display?

Which target group will the video display address?

How much attention can be expected from the target

group (spontaneous duration of observation)?

What sort of video display/what content is required

(adverts, information, brands, emotions)?

At what time of day is the media façade to be operated?

What is the building used for?

Which compass direction will the media façade face?

What is the available budget?

Top: media façades for fascinating entrances

At www.mediafacade.com/mediamesh, youwill also find specific questionnaires relating toyour individual requirements which will make iteasier for you and us to work on your project.

Mediamesh®

mediaThe construction of transparent media façades is a challenge in terms of creativity andplanning. Communicative goals, cost-effectiveness and efficiency must be defined regard-ing content and technology before they are elaborated into a concept. For this reason,planning starts with the meticulous definition of the frame parameters. Experts at GKDand ag4 with years of experience are ready to advise you in the early stages of planning.

With their profound experience in architecture, technology and media design, these proven experts will accompany you through all stages of development and work with youto develop a customized concept for design and video display. On this basis, GKD will thenproduce the precisely equipped wire mesh in the specific dimensions required for yourproject. ag4 will create the authentic content and will provide expert handling of videodisplay operation and service. In this way, you will receive an integrated turnkey solution,i.e. fully installed, internet connected, and display capable, all from a single source.

The way to atransparent media façade.

Top: relationship of pixel density and resolution

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