Rethinking a Fence

The concept began at Studio DeMakersVan, where I was working full-time as a freelancer. Faced with the challenge of enclosing an entire sport park while cutting wind speed by 30%, the studio proposed a radical idea:
What if the green fence could become a graphic surface?
The project, developed in partnership with Moederscheim Moonen Architects, needed to function as infrastructure but feel like a designed object.
A fence, yes, but also a canvas.

Design with Purpose

Working closely with Alessandro Innocenti, I helped develop the graphic system using Dedots, a modular surface of snap-in thermoplastic dots mounted to mesh panels.
We explored how dot size, spacing, and coverage could control airflow while preserving the clarity of the image at scale.
It was a balancing act, performance, legibility, and material efficiency all needed to align.

A Graphic Structure

The final system spans over 8,500 m², made of more than 1.6 million Dedots, the largest permanent graphic installation in Europe.
Each segment was precisely mapped, fabricated, and installed across the perimeter of four football fields. The result performs not just environmentally, but visually, changing with light, weather, and movement..

“Picture a canvas on which you can depict the grandest stories of your dreams. Vivid imagery, intricate patterns, bold graphic art; this is possible with DEDOTS fabrics”