Project. One of the largest fashion houses in the world gives itself a  makeover. The project is characterized by its initially neutral, abstract facade. During the course of a day and  through out the changing seasons,  a fascinating interplay between light  and shade makes the structure appear to come alive.

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Concept/Design. The glass curtain wall is reminiscent of a three  dimensional checkerboard. This is achieved by alternating panels of clear laminated safety glass with panels which have Makro Architecture VISION fabric embedded within them. The basic Makro Architecture VISION product range consists of six fabrics with differing yarn strengths and mesh openings. The fabric has an exterior aluminum coating which reflects the constantly changing climatic conditions around the building, while the black fabric on the interior side provides a slightly darkened view of the outside world.

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Construction. All of the open-edged, laminated glass panels used to form the curtain wall are produced with a 1.52 mm SentryGlas® interlayer made by DuPont. Each panel measures 3440 x 1950 mm and consists of two layers of 8 mm single-pane safely glass with a low iron content. The cube-like  offset glass panels create a stunning optical effect, while the coated Vision fabric lends the glass an unusual textile structure and reduces its hard visual quality. Comments architect Rafael de La-Hoz: «There is an interplay between shades and reflections that is never equal, with the dark squares of the inner skin interspersed by mirrors that seemingly vibrate with the light of the sun, yet switch off when direct sunlight is lost.»