A particularly scenic project carried out by Sice Previt in the retail sphere is the construction of two kinematic walls (kinematic facade) for the store-fronts of the Louis Vuitton store at the main Paris airport.
The concept, as can be appreciated in the video, was daring: to realize it, Sice Previt’s metalwork produced as many as 402 steel sheets between 2.2 and 5.5 meters long, which were then twisted according to a precise curvature thanks to a special machine, so as to go a total length of 14 m per wall.
Finally, to reinforce the optical effect by means of a chromatic contrast, the sheets were painted with opposite colors (Louis Vuitton’s black and white) on one side and on the other-a not at all trivial operation, all the more so given the twisting of the surfaces involved.
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To make possible the coordinated movement of the foils, each individually driven by a small dedicated motor, Sice Previt also developed special software in collaboration with the Milan Polytechnic. This was the first in a series of kinetic programming systems developed by the company in recent years. In this case, it features a fair amount of complexity: in fact, it is possible to apply two alternative “choreographies” to the engine system.
For safety reasons, as well as to ensure the desired aesthetic effect, it was then necessary to apply tensioning to the foils that would prevent their flagging, which would otherwise be unavoidable given their considerable height.
Finally, in order to avoid possible accidents and interference with the kinetic facades in a place of intense passage such as an airport, it was necessary to study a system that would guarantee their protection without diminishing their aesthetic impact (as, for example, a glass window would have done). The solution chosen were both electrical and mechanical safety systems that are activated by sensors to avoid possible interference with the movement of the foil.
Watch the video to observe the amazing optical effect of the moving foils!
