New light on the façade at Operations Control Center KLM

Frontside
View 381

Facade

NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam

Project Participants

Architect: KLM/ SODEXO
Installer: Poly-Ned Steenwijk, Netherlands

KLM's Operations Control Center at Schiphol-East has recently been refurbished with an eye-catching façade. The façade is equipped with sun-screening façade textiles from Serge Ferrari. Thanks to this fabric, more light enters the building whilst both sunlight and heat are kept under control.

Serge Ferrari is the world leader in flexible composite materials and is known for its innovative products. KLM's Operations Control Center at Schiphol-Oost had a challenge that the manufacturer could handle.

In search of sustainable sun protection

The control centre’s façade needed a good sun protection solution. A few years ago, a perforated metal mesh had already been installed to provide sun protection. However, the panels started to rust, and the material used was no longer available on the market. That is why Poly-Ned in Steenwijk was called in to develop a new solution. The choice fell on this specialist in textile architecture because of its extensive experience and because the company could meet the high safety requirements on the construction site.

More light, better appearance

After extensive research, the architect chose to fit the façade with perforated textiles. This lightweight option allows for a broader view of the outside of the building while still effectively keeping out the sun. The façade is now equipped with 830 m² of mesh fabric of the type Frontside View 381 from Serge Ferrari.
This is a gauze for textile façades designed to maintain the view of the outside from the inside. In new construction and renovation projects, it reduces heat inside the building by up to 81%, depending on the colours of the mesh. In addition, it is durable and resistant to impact from wind, hail and solar radiation. The architect wanted a dark shade, because it matches the original colours of the façade. In this project, the old sub-frame remained intact. Because this could be reused, the costs of the total investment were manageable.

Not only does KLM's Operations Control Center look a lot more attractive after installation of the awning, but more light enters the building daily, while at the same time keeping out the harmful influence of the sun.

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