AIR WALL: What is a Wall?

In the complex weaving of human dynamics, sociality shapes experiences, relationships, and dialogues between people and forms of knowledge and exchange. Simultaneity and interconnectedness characterize an era when technology transcends its functional role to become a medium of message, meaning, and relationship with the world. Consequently, the boundary between what can be shared as a collective experience and what remains personal and individual is becoming increasingly thin and blurred.

The global pandemic has urgently and radically highlighted the need for separate, private, exclusive environments for safety and security and as a new trend toward public intimacy in relationships with people and communities. This event has reshaped the places and organization of work, the modes of dialogue, the processes and methods of educational and cognitive transmission, the uses and spaces for entertainment, and collective mobility.  The traditional framework that had long defined the identity of shared spaces and forms of social interaction has been challenged, along with the concepts of living and being together.

The experience of the pandemic, with its restrictions and significant lifestyle and work changes, led to a reconsideration of the concept of domestic and public space, emphasizing the need for flexible and adaptable environments. Today, living is no longer just about comfort and functionality but also about safety and psychophysical well-being. It demands an adaptable platform capable of handling fluid and changing situations.

Moreover, the rise of remote work, as a frontier of liberated time, envisions a future where homes foster a seamless cohabitation of public and private spaces. Individuals alternate between social and professional interactions within home environments that accommodate spatial, professional, and family functions and identities.

These contemporary living and working styles are also sensitive to sustainability and ecology, reflected in daily habits and in housing solutions that seek harmony and respect for the environment. Consequently, eco-sustainable materials, bioclimatic designs, and innovative technologies have become integral in all areas of product, process, and service design.

This emerging need for separation does not imply isolation, but rather presents an opportunity to create safe, welcoming spaces that promote connection and responsible collaboration. Shared but distinct environments can foster greater productivity and concentration while providing security and peace of mind.

These considerations inspire innovative projects aimed at meeting the needs of separation and sharing in public spaces, featuring permeable walls that distinguish without dividing, and customizable solutions that create discrete spaces with ample airflow and constant visual connection.

One such example is the Thinking Box project conceived by the Canadian firm Renocon Design Center for the communications company Antisocial, and developed in collaboration with i-Mesh for the company's Vancouver offices. This air wall is a sort of permeable wall made of carbon fiber with the "Random" pattern, characterized by a pleasingly chaotic orthogonal texture that allows for bidirectional tensioning, offering privacy and customization.

This installation allows creating distinct spaces without the loss of light and air, provides privacy and customization in terms of pattern and density - and thanks to a durable structure and materials that passively filter and reflect excessive solar radiation, provides the covered space with thermal and visual comfort.

i-Mesh's pioneering experiments on the air wall front began around 2011 and also mark its long collaboration with Natuzzi, Italy's leading sofa and accessories manufacturer. At the Salone del Mobile in 2013, the Matera-based company presented the air wall for the first time, a sign that for many years has characterized fittings and display solutions in cultural and commercial events, marking a significant development in creating welcoming environments with flexible partitions.

The Contemporary Tapestry Collection, which explores themes of permeability, transparency, and the coexistence of different signs, materials, and sensibilities, has engaged with these design themes, particularly the dialogue between full and void. In the tapestries of Ico Migliore at Studio Migliore+Servetto, Milan, the gaze extends beyond the material surface, creating multiple perspectives and planes, sometimes augmented by two-tone contrasts. In this context, the tapestry serves as both a completed and open work, prepared for infinite metamorphoses.