A masterpiece of Soft Architecture. Commissioned to provide public comfort on the promenade of Expo City in Dubai, the longest textile sunshade ever made was designed by Werner Sobek with a determination to exploit the customisation potential of i-Mesh and its unique structural features.
The Thematic Concourse is the longest walkway ever covered to protect from excessive solar radiation. It's an example of how comfort can be created in a hot city environment. It also features the largest beamless pergola module ever made. This was made possible by i-Mesh's ability to create fibre patterns in total freedom, with the fibres running along the load paths.
This eliminated the need for all the trusses typically found in comparable installations. In terms of sustainability, this means that 30 km of extruded aluminium profiles have been avoided, which equates to a global warming potential of 31 tonnes of CO2 equivalents. The production of the Thematic Concourse pergolas has produced the lowest amount of waste ever for a textile installation.
The textile industry typically wastes between 20% and 45% of fibres and chemicals and uses water at various stages of production, creating a serious pollution problem: this pergola has saved up to 16 tonnes of fibres and chemicals. The process uses no water at all. As the pergolas cover an area of 52,426 m², the aesthetics and effect of this surface from above have a profound impact.
At close range, for example when viewed from surrounding buildings, the architects objected to the unsatisfactory view that would have been provided by dust-covered trusses or other structural supports. The surface had to be as homogeneous as possible, while at the same time highly reflective to reduce urban heating.
