Aluminium wallpaper by Jean Nouvel and Neal Feay
Neal Feay Co needed only three weeks to create dazzling aluminium wallpaper at Salone del Mobile in Milan, using advanced aluminium extrusions.
To ensure a spectacular introduction to Handmade 2016 at Salone del Mobile in Milan, Wallpaper* commissioned world-class architect Jean Nouvel and aluminium creative specialist Neal Feay Co to construct a metallic tunnel running the length of the Milanese event location.
Visually impressive and light-catching, featuring seating units brought together in the form of a supersized asterisk, Neal Feay managed to transform a space with the use of aluminium. The installation was produced in modular fashion, making it practical for transportation and for future use at other venues.
The new luxury metal
Neal Feay knows aluminium, having already introduced the metal to the world of luxury through the beautiful shop facades they have designed for Louis Vuitton in attractive anodized golden-colored aluminium.
Aluminium is a widely used and loved metal by industrial designers. This is due to:
- its versatility in production
- variety of surface treatments
- its ability to be extruded into intricate profiles
- cost-effective for small production series
Movable aluminium wallpaper
For the Wallpaper* Handmade 2016 arcade, the architect had one requirement: to use aluminium and Neal Feay for the production of the movable wallpaper. In order to get everything ready in time, the extrusion presses operated around the clock.
Sapa, now Hydro, manufactured 2,000 pieces of flat extrusions, which then went through a secondary process done off press to meet the flatness requirements from the design.
