It is called i-Mesh the young company from the Marche region that made the cover of the Expo 2020 promenade Dubai. 2.7 km of technical fabric for architecture - with a total surface area of 52,500 square metres - made in Italy: a high-tech, green textile material that is better performing, more sustainable, more versatile for the local climate.
i-Mesh in fact passed the test of resistance to a sandstorm, remaining intact, without cuts, thanks to the strength and flexibility of its fibres, the softness of the material, and its well-balanced weight.
The theme of Expo 2020, scheduled to run from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 in Dubai, is "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". And 'connecting minds, creating the future' is the 'philosophy' of Alberto Fiorenzi, founder of i-Meshwho, based on his experience in the aerospace and nautical sectors, has created a new, high-performance material for architecture, designed with circularity and maximum customisation in mind.
i-Mesh makes it possible to imagine a new paradigm of architecture. A soft architecture that designs "softer", flexible and versatile spaces, in which man and his well-being are at the centre. Inclusive and welcoming spaces that 'move' on the real needs of people and guarantee visual and environmental comfort.
i-Mesh is the thread that binds everything, a touch material that has found its most important expressive manifestation at Expo 2020 Dubai.
An ethereal translucent 'cloud' suspended between earth and sky that protects from the heat during the day and turns into a projection screen at night. A fabric characterised by the distinctive motifs of a modern "Mashrabiya"the perforated screen traditionally used in the architecture of Arab countries.
This is how we can describe the i-Mesh roofs of Expo 2020 Dubai, designed by the German studio Werner Sobek who chose to use this innovative material made in Italy for their project.
A poetic 'see-through' effect made possible by the lightness and transparency of this technical fabric. Applied for the first time on a large urban scale, i-Mesh covers the main walkways connecting the Expo 2020 Dubai areas, does not obstruct the view of the sky or the passage of air, but repels solar radiation, giving a feeling of comfort and maintaining a pleasant microclimate. Werner Sobek's idea was to recreate the intimate and familiar character of a retractable pergola, but with imposing dimensions. An idea that i-Mesh enabled him to translate into reality.
"The Dubai Shade Structures perfectly embody the combination of lightweight construction, innovation and design that we strive for in all our projects, tells Werner Sobekwhich has designed a structure that is both light and robust at the same time, thanks to the high engineering solutions and advanced technologies adopted. The result is an innovative project in many respects.
The collaboration with i-Mesh enabled him to build the largest retractable roof ever. The first canopy produced with only 3% of virgin material waste as opposed to the textile industry's 25%. And it is the first time a start-up has been awarded the contract in an Expo project.
The challenge was to construct 2.7 kilometres of retractable roofing for a total of 52,500 square metres of i-Mesh, without transverse support beams. This means 30 kilometres of extruded aluminium saved, thus a 'cut' of 31 tonnes of CO2 that will not be released into the environment. Not only that: i-Mesh is reusable. This means that, when the World Expo is over, a large part of the fabric used for the roofing will remain on site as a permanent installation, while other parts can be reused in another city context, according to a 'zero waste' logic.
The design for Expo 2020 Dubai is the result of extensive research, in which solutions were 'certified' by a specially created calculation system in collaboration with the Milan Polytechnic.
i-Mesh consists of two elements: six types of fibres (four of which are minerals) and a thermoplastic polymer that does not change its properties during the industrial process. This means that it can be separated from the fibres during recycling operations.
i-Mesh is a patented, lightweight and extremely strong technical fabric that can be installed, stored and dismantled with great ease. And which can be reused several times in different ways.
Manufactured exclusively in customised panels, according to a zero waste logic. A circular product but also a totally customisable material. Each pattern of i-Mesh is, in fact, created on the basis of the designer's specific requirements. i-Mesh can be used both outdoors and indoors. For interiors it is used
to make high-tech curtains, vertical partitions, false ceilings, skyroofs and tapestries. On the outside, however, it filters and reflects solar radiation, allowing light to pass through while providing thermal and visual comfort. The total freedom of customisation, both of pattern and design, is undoubtedly i-Mesh's greatest asset: there is, in fact, no standard weave in its production. "i-Mesh is a material that frees itself from the constraints of traditional weaving, always generating new emotions and expressive forms," explains Alberto Fiorenzi.
DESIGNING THE FUTURE
Expo Dubai 2020 may be considered a bet that has been won, but Alberto Fiorenzi is already looking to the future with the idea that i-Mesh could become "the paradigm of a new way of doing architecture to design flexible and versatile spaces for people and their wellbeing. A soft architecture that provides sustainable and customisable solutions and leaves an ever lighter trace on the planet".
