Oval transparent mesh façade: Variable design & solar protection

At Expo 2000 in Hanover, the Bertelsmann media group presented a very special kind of pavilion, “Planet m”. The ovoid form of the seemingly floating building on stilts was almost completely three-dimensionally cloaked with flexible, formable stainless steel mesh from GKD.

The transparent mesh façade this created serves as solar protection and as a multiform design element that is visible from quite some distance. The reflective surface of the silvery metal fabric reveals itself as a subtle, living mirror of the outside world: sun, clouds, colors, lights. At the same time, the shimmering mesh façade provides a lot of scope for individual associations. Thanks to the transparency of the fabric and complex rear illumination, the pavilion seems to start glowing as dusk falls.

“Planet m” is the first project in which a completely round building of spectacular dimensions has been successfully clad with a virtually enclosed delicate mesh façade. GKD built a special production machine especially to produce the flexible Escale stainless steel spiral mesh that was used here. 440 interlinked mesh elements ultimately formed the required area of 2,400 m² for the façade of the impressive building.