White GKD metal fabric plays a disappearing act on the interior of a commercial office building in Toronto, Canada. With sharp geometric lines and vibrant white walls set against concrete floors and metal railings, a few red bucket chairs starkly break up the monotone design. The overall aesthetic creates a futuristic lobby worthy of the busy, interconnected corporate office that caters to premium retail spaces below 14 floors of office space. GKD Omega 1510 was used to create partitions on the second level, hiding walkways and blending into the design allowing the metal fabric to become indistinguishable from the solid white walls.

It’s a brand new feature for GKD in North America for metal wire to arrive from Germany already treated with a white powder coating. The coated wire mesh was handled with extreme caution to avoid scratching the white surface. What GKD representatives expected to be a delicate process turned out to be standard like any other GKD metal fabric material. They were able to shed the gloves working directly with the coated material to create the Omega 1510 weave in their Maryland headquarters.

The architects at IBI Group Inc. specified the material for two main reasons. The Omega 1510 GKD Metal fabric, with an open area of 35%, met open weave requirements. More importantly, the mesh was offered in the color the architects from IBI Group Inc needed. GKD metal fabric is available in any color in the RAL spectrum, referring to the classic system that is mainly used for powder coating. Additionally, the attachment system worked with the sub-structure giving the architects their desired look.

A modified Stealthlock attachment system was used for attaching the five 144-by-175 inch mesh panels. Three-inch diameter tubes were used across the top and bottom of the fabric creating a simple design element. Visually, the clevis fasteners and eyebolts are hidden, creating a clean panel attachment system that looks as if it’s floating. The metal tubing of the Stealthlock was left in stainless steel, creating a nice contrast against the white powder coating on the metal fabric.

The project turned out to be a straightforward design for GKD Metal Fabrics with a painless installation process. Roles of metal wire already treated with the powder coating were shipped from Germany at the start. Then, every step from shop drawings, static calculations, design, execution, and the fabrication of the metal wire was handled locally in GKD’s North American headquarters. Pengelly Iron Works, out of Ontario, were onsite to install the panels utilizing shop drawings provided by GKD.

While GKD was specified for open area and ease of installation, it also offered light transmission and transparency. The fabric is also acoustically transparent, meaning that it does not impede a sound wave. While the aesthetic called for RAL9003, Signal White, the functionality of hiding walkways played a role in the specification of the product as well.

Visit GKD Metal Fabrics at Greenbuild, Los Angeles Convention Center, October 5-6, 2016 Booth #2935.

Photography © Daniel Lunghi Photography