A striking mesh facade that ripples with the wind features on a Los Angeles tower by architecture practice Johnson Fain.
The Welcome Tower for the Runway at Playa Vista, also known as Enagua, was created through a collaboration between artist and sculptor Ned Khan and architect Scott Johnson.
The tower consists of a series of horizontal ribs, with each supporting two layers of plastic chainmail fabric that moves with wind gusts. The facade uses a unique product – seamless plastic mesh called Kaynemaile that was created by a New Zealand engineer.
The facade takes advantage of ocean winds that are often blowing in the area, meaning that it is almost always in motion. The design takes inspiration from the motion of waves rising in stormy weather.
The strength, versatility and swift production time of the mesh made it suitable for the project. The same seamless mesh also featured in the Lord of the Rings movies, filmed in New Zealand, because the chainmail garments for the armies being made with real metal were taking too long produce.
