The covering of the promenade (in technical jargon it is called promenade) of Expo 2020 in Dubai is made of fiber (of mineral and synthetic origin, carbon, glass, basalt, Zylon and Technora) and resin. The fiber is called i-Mesh and is a special fabric made by a startup in Numana, in the province of Ancona, founded by Alberto Fiorenzi in 2012. Fiorenzi, starting from its experience in the aerospace and nautical sectors, has developed a new material for the architecture, conceived with a view to circular economy. The Fiorenzi-based company created 2.7 km of technical fabric for the event (for a total area of 52,500 square meters), produced in Italy: a textile material that is more performing, sustainable and versatile for the local climate. i-Mesh has in fact passed the test of resistance to a sandstorm, remaining intact.
Reusable
The challenge of the company was also to create 2.7 kilometers of retractable roofs, ie without transverse support beams (30 kilometers of extruded aluminum saved, therefore a cut of 31 tons of CO2 that will not be released into the environment). i-Mesh will then be reusable. It means that, when the Universal Exposition is over, a large part of the fabric used for the roofing will remain in place as a permanent installation, while other parts can be reused in another city context. The project for Expo 2020 Dubai is the result of a long research, in which the solutions have been certified by a calculation system specially created in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano.
Six types of fibers and one polymer
i-Mesh is composed of two elements: six types of fibers (four of which are minerals) and a thermoplastic polymer that does not change its properties during the industrial process: it means that it can be separated from the fibers during recycling operations.
Resistance and aesthetics
«Using the thread and making it a plot, studying and exploiting its behavior in its uniqueness and” mixing it “with others. I started from this intuition to develop a multipurpose and multi-axial fabric designed to allow real-time customization of technical fabrics »explained Alberto Fiorenzi. «The composition of the product begins with the nano-preparation of the yarn – he added – the colors and the aesthetic appearance change according to the fiber used, mainly of mineral origin. Research on raw materials has focused on natural elements such as carbon, which remains unchanged over time, basalt, volcano and fiberglass. Components that guarantee resistance and aesthetics at the same time. Total freedom of customization is undoubtedly the greatest advantage of i-Mesh: in fact, there is no standard weave in its production ». For Fiorenzi, «i-Mesh is a material that frees itself from the constraints of traditional weaving, always generating new emotions and expressive forms, guaranteeing lightness and strength at the same time. Our goal is to stimulate the local economy, Made in Italy craftsmanship and a new textile model: circular, with low environmental impact, multifaceted and always innovative ».
A bit of history…
i-Mesh was launched in 2012, on the occasion of Made Expo for the project “Green Home Design 2012: How to live the present to preserve the future”, where it is chosen by to create a reserved but permeable area inside the room conferences. In 2013 the fabric is at Milan Design Week 2013 in an installation inspired by the novel “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll. From 2015 to 2019 the company developed a research project for the characterization of the i-Mesh product and for the evaluation and quantification of its positive impacts on buildings. From 2019 to 2021, a new research project was launched on the use of i-Mesh panels in architectural facades, as sustainable solar shading.
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