EXYD-M in Villach
John Hill
6. Januar 2014
Photo: Bruno Klomfar
EXYD GmbH's M series line of stainless steel panels are hammered and beaten to create bumpy surfaces that fragment reflections along the lines of Impressionist paintings. BEHF Architects used the panels for the canopy of the Neukauf shopping center in Villach, Austria, "reflecting a new shopping experience," as they put it.
Photo: Bruno Klomfar
The installation consists of approximately 50,000 square feet (4,650 square meters) of the M-series above the walkway that connects the 23 shops making up the Neukauf. The panels dapple the reflections of the storefronts, the columns, the architectural surfaces, and even the shoppers themselves, such that they appear like colors rippling across water. The stainless steel canopy shelters an outdoor dining area (top photo) at one end of the promenade, providing a place of respite amongst the shopping.
Photo: EXYD
EXYD developed the M product line in 2009 with the intention of making something that looked like the reflections of gently rippling water. Given the variations that occur in the surfaces of water bodies, the manufacturer developed varied degrees of fragmentation, as can be seen below. In addition to ceilings, the panels are used for walls, facades, guardrails, street furniture, and landscapes. They can be mounted via hooks, screws, dowels, or glue. The panels, available in various colors, can also be perforated for acoustical applications.
Photo: EXYD
BEHF's application of the M-series illustrates how the panels can work with subtle curves (evident in the third photo), extending the rippled reflections toward the parking spaces that front the shopping center at the southern entrance to the town of Villach.
