German architect and structural engineer Werner Sobek has designed a 2.7-kilometre-long retractable textile covering the Expo 2020 Dubai promenade. 

Called i-Mesh, the project was created in collaboration with i-Mesh, a young company from the Marche region of Italy, and made from an innovative textile fiber in Italy with lightness and technology, acting as a screen between land and sky.

Covering a total of 52,500 square meters area, the high-tech, green, textile material is better performing, more sustainable, and more versatile for the local climate.

As the company explained, 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 taking place from 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, which chose to use this innovative Made in Italy material for their project, can be described. 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.