Starting from the aerospace and nautical sectors, i-Mesh has created a new, innovative, sustainable fabric for architecture: 2.7 kilometers of retractable surfaces provide 52,500 square meters of lightness and technology, acting as a screen between land and sky.
It consists of 2.7 km of Made in Italy technical fabric for architecture, for a total area of 52,500 square meters. The high-tech, green, textile material is better performing, more sustainable, and more versatile for the local climate.
In fact, i-Mesh flourished in a sandstorm resistance test, remaining intact without
ripping thanks to the strength and flexibility of its fibers, soft material, and well-
calibrated weight.
The theme of Expo 2020, which is scheduled for October 1, 2021 to March 31,
2022 in Dubai, is "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future," a philosophy also
shared by Alberto Fiorenzi, the founder of i-Mesh. Starting from his experience
in the aerospace and nautical sectors, he has created a new, highly-performing
material for architecture, conceived from the viewpoint of circularity and
maximum customization.


i-Mesh allows imagining a new architectural paradigm. A type of soft architecture
which designs softer, more flexible, versatile spaces that focus on human beings
and their well-being. Inclusive and welcoming spaces, they “react” to the real
needs of people, ensuring 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" hanging between land and sky that protects from
the heat during the day and transforms into a projection screen at night. The fabric
features the distinctive patterns of a modern "Mashrabiya," the latticework
traditionally used in the architecture of Arab countries.


This is how the i-Mesh covers of Expo 2020 Dubai designed by the German
studio Werner Sobek can be described, which chose to use this innovative Made
in Italy material for their project.
It is a poetic “see through” effect made possible by the lightness and transparency
of this technical fabric.
Applied on a large urban scale for the first time, i-Mesh covers the main walkways
connecting the areas of Expo 2020 Dubai. It does not block the view of the sky
nor the passage of air, but instead repels solar radiation, providing a feeling of
comfort while maintaining a pleasant microclimate. Werner Sobek's idea was to
recreate the intimate and familiar character of a retractable pergola, but with
significant dimensions: an idea that i-Mesh allowed him to transform into reality.

“The Dubai Shade Structures perfectly embody the combination of lightweight
construction, innovation and design that we seek out in all our projects,” according
to Werner Sobek, who has designed a structure that is both light and robust thanks
to the highly engineered solutions and advanced technologies adopted. The result is
an innovative project from multiple points of view.
Collaborating with i-Mesh allowed him to build the largest retractable cover ever
made. It is the first canopy produced with only 3% waste of virgin material,
compared to the standard 25% of the textile industry. It is also the first time that a
start-up has been awarded an order in an Expo project.


The challenge was to create 2.7 kilometers of retractable covers for a total 52,500
square meters of i-Mesh, all without transverse support beams. This eliminated
the need for 30 kilometers of extruded aluminum, thereby avoiding the emission
of 31 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. And there's more: i-Mesh is also reusable.
This means that when the Universal Exposition is over, a large part of the fabric
used for the covers will remain on site as a permanent installation, while other parts
can be reused in another city context, according to a logic of zero waste.
The Expo 2020 Dubai project is the result of a long study, in which the solutions
were "certified" by a calculation system specially created in collaboration with the
Polytechnic Institute of Milan.


INNOVATION AND TECHNICAL RESEARCH AT THE BASE OF A NEW CONCEPT OF
ARCHITECTURE 

i-Mesh is composed of two elements: six types of fibers (including four minerals) and a thermoplastic polymer whose properties remain intact during the industrial process. This means that it can be separated from the fibers during recycling operations.
i-Mesh is a patented, light, extremely resistant technical fabric that can be
installed, stored, and disassembled with great ease. It can also be reused several
times in various ways.
It is produced exclusively in custom-made panels, according to a zero waste logic.
It is a circular product, but also an entirely customizable material. In fact, every i-
Mesh pattern is created based on the specific needs of the designer.
i-Mesh can be used both indoors and outdoors. It can be used indoors to make high-
tech curtains, vertical dividers, false ceilings, skylights, and tapestries. Outdoors, it
instead filters and reflects solar radiation, allowing the passage of light while at the
same time guaranteeing thermal and visual comfort. The total freedom of
customization in terms of both pattern and design is undoubtedly the greatest
advantage of i-Mesh: in fact, there is no standard weave in its production. "I-Mesh
is a material that is entirely free from the constraints of traditional weaving, always
generating new emotions and expressive forms," explained Alberto Fiorenzi.


WE DESIGN THE FUTURE 

The Expo 2020 Dubai can be considered a successful bet, but Alberto Fiorenzi is already looking to the future with the idea that i-Mesh can become, "The paradigm for a new way of doing architecture to design flexible and versatile spaces for people". 

Dubai Shade Structures: The cover over the “promenade” of Expo 2020 Dubai

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