Complex Modern Stadium Architecture

by Jonathan McGaha | August 31, 2015 12:00 am

Nowadays, the demand on modern stadium architecture is becoming increasingly complex. Besides flexibility and a comfortable spectator experience, the aesthetic and multifunctional ability of a stadium are also major design factors. Excitement within the stadium should be transferred to the outside, e.g., via media façades.

The Stade Pierre Mauroy, located on the Boulevard de Tournai in Lille in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France, is one of those stadiums that meet these demands. Designed by the architects Valode & Pistre, Paris, and Pierre Ferret of Atelier FERRET Architectures, Paris, the multipurpose stadium is clad with the transparent media façade IMAGIC WEAVE by W.S. Tyler, Mentor, Ohio, a subsidiary of Haver
& Boecker, Oelde, Germany. There are three different areas of varying resolution, each providing the optimum requirement for playing the media required.

For this extraordinary stadium, which will be a venue for the European Football Championship 2016, the architectural team wanted the external view to be as exciting and distinctive as the inside. The concept was to create a façade that in one moment fascinates with its elegance and clarity, and in the next brings the stadium to life through atmospheric light and color. To realize this concept the architects set extremely high demands on the flexibility of the media façade system. IMAGIC WEAVE, a fusion of HAVER Architectural Mesh and state-of-the-art LED technology from East Rutherford, N.J.-based Traxon Technologies, met all their demands.

 

The wire mesh façade

The elliptical main façade of Stade Pierre Mauroy is covered with 22,023 square feet of tailor-made HAVER Architectural Mesh. From a vast range of meshes the weave type DOGLA-TRIO 1030 was chosen, which is not only functional but also aesthetically attractive. When no video content is being displayed, the semi-transparent surface of the stainless steel mesh façade creates an elegantly gleaming appearance in the sunshine. The woven wire mesh is virtually maintenance-free, easy to clean, non-flammable and also offers sun protection. At the same time, due to the open area, the required ventilation to the stairwells of the stadium is maintained.

 

Transparent Media Façade IMAGIC WEAVE

The Transparent Media Façade IMAGIC WEAVE creates with an infinite number of colors individually programmable lighting effects, from simple graphics to live video coverage of sporting and cultural events. The completely outdoor rated system (IP67) offers various options for challenging requirements of architects and owners, allowing individual large-scale landscape media design. To make the transparent media façade adaptable to project specific requirements such as color mixing, angle of radiation and brightness, the media façade system is available in two different LED technologies: THT and SMT. By attaching the slim LED-profiles, which are available in various lengths, to the reverse side of the wire mesh a homogenous and transparent look of the façade is maintained at all times.

At the 65-foot-high and 394-foot-wide main façade of Stade Pierre Mauroy, the media façade IMAGIC WEAVE covers with 70,000 pixels the entire surface of the external envelope. Within the whole façade there are three different resolution areas: a rectangular high-resolution screen for promotional videos; an elongated medium resolution screen suitable for letter tickering and a large background screen with a low resolution, which can be used for graphics or creating various lighting moods. To ensure a 24-hour operation anywhere in the world the media façade system IMAGIC WEAVE is available with a maximum brightness > 11000 nit
(cd/m²). At dusk or at night the system can continuously be dimmed, automatically or manually.

In total, 2.7 miles of powerful LED profiles were installed to 22,023 square feet of HAVER Architectural Mesh at Stade Pierre Mauroy´s main façade. The installation of the LED and wire mesh components, as well as the pre-installed power and control racks for the media façade, was carried out under the guidance of the HAVER & BOECKER technical team.

 

Easy operation

The control technic of the media façade is located inside the building. Even though this technic is quite complex, the operation of the media façade is very easy and can be done from the control room, wireless via smartphone or tablet PC or with remote maintenance from anywhere in the world. For external representation all three areas of the media façade can be used as single units or can be controlled separately.

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Henning Edelmeier is a product specialist at W.S. Tyler, Mentor, Ohio. As a system supplier of IMAGIC WEAVE transparent media façade W.S. Tyler offers a comprehensive package from a single source-from consulting and planning, the manufacture of the wire mesh, provision of installation instruction through to the commissioning of the media façade, including software and hardware training. To learn more, visit www.imagicweave.com[1].

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/complex-modern-stadium-architecture/

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