Year: 2006

'Outside on the inside'

What is probably the world's
biggest sun blind – 4m high x 60
m long – will be on show at the
Cologne International Furniture
Fair. The sun blind, which consists
of hanging vertical slats 25cm
wide, is made of glassfibre
reinforced plastic, GRP. It is the
product of a unique development
partnership between Fiberline
Composites, a Danish manu-
facturer of hightech composites,
and textile designer Astrid Krogh.

Astrid Krogh was invited by the Cologne Fair to submit ideas for the design project 'Ideal House 2006' together with three other top international design names: Dieter
Rams, Joris Laarman and Stefan Diez. The giant sun blind is ornamented with patterns actually printed in the composite, and it
is used by Astrid Krogh as the
framework for her 'house of the future'.

'Unlike most other types of
architectural divisions used to
separate 'inside' and 'outside' in
buildings, using composite makes
it possible to change the scene
and at the same time continuously
create new patterns', says Astrid
Krogh. 'The building can be
'opened' and 'closed' simply
by turning the slats. The pattern
on the slats will simultaneously
be highlighted in a variety of
ways, depending on how the light
strikes them. The effect in the
evening is also beautiful,'
continues Astrid Krogh.

Astrid Krogh has experimented
with new materials for a number
of years in her design solutions
for both sun protection and
decoration. While working on
the sun blind for the Cologne fair ,
it became a particular challenge
to reinterpret the classic curtain
through use of composite as the
'functional ornamentation'. She
has used well-known textile
techniques, but her collaboration
with the manufacturer Fiberline
has resulted in entirely new modes
of expressions for products made
of composite.

Finn Jernø, Head of Communi-
cations at Fiberline Composites,
sees great potential in the new
sun blind. 'With this new technique
it is possible to integrate printed
textile actually into the slats.
This enables builder and architect
to ornament their buildings with
art if they want to achieve a
different effect from that provided
by glass,' says Finn Jernø, who
is finding considerable interest
in the use of Fiberline's products
for various types of sun protec-
tion. 'Many buildings incorporate large expanses of glass, and
the strength of composite makes
it suitable for making slats in
long lengths,' adds Finn Jernø.

He stresses that the blind
displayed at the Cologne fair is
still a prototype, but he expects
composite sun blinds to find their
first professional application
in a new sports and amenity
centre at Birkerød, Copenhagen,
where the exteriors will also be
of composite. The centre has been
designed by architects Schmidt,
Hammer & Lassen, and the
exterior will be developed
and executed by AS Henning
Frøkjær.