GKD Metal Fabrics - An Overview
GKD Metal Fabrics is the world leader in technical metal weaving. Founded in 1925, GKD leverages extensive experience in creating highly specialized, 316L stainless-steel architectural mesh systems. Common exterior applications include: curtain wall facades, parking structure facades, landscape, infill panels for pedestrian bridges, other safety/security. Common interior applications include: acoustical walls/ceilings, screens/partitions, and infill panels for balconies/stairs.
Kansas City University Center for Medical Education and Innovation (Kansas City, MO), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Omega 1520 with color-changing LED lighting
Transparent Facades
GKD Metal Fabrics is the originator of the transparent metal fabric facade. Metal fabrics are ideal for exterior applications because they are highly functional, extremely durable, and very easy to maintain. In addition, the semi-transparent nature of GKD’s metal fabric patterns produce stunning exterior facades, especially when enhanced with lighting and/or etched surfaces.
Kansas City University Center for Medical Education and Innovation (Kansas City, MO), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Omega 1520 with color-changing LED lighting
Kansas City University Center for Medical Education and Innovation (Kansas City, MO), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Omega 1520 with color-changing LED lighting
Parking Structures
GKD’s ability to produce very large woven-metal panels provides a cost-effective way to incorporate safety/security, visibility/ventilation into parking structure facades without compromising on design. Panel sizes can be produced at sizes larger than 20’(W) x 100’(H).
Van Nuys Airport (Los Angeles, CA), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Lago; direct-mounted signage
Samsung HQ (San Jose, CA), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Omega 1520; digitally applied paint graphics
New World Symphony Parking Garage (Miami Beach, FL), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Helix 12 with color-changing LED lighting
New World Symphony Parking Garage (Miami Beach, FL), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Helix 12 with color-changing LED lighting
New World Symphony Parking Garage (Miami Beach, FL), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Helix 12 with color-changing LED lighting
New World Symphony Parking Garage (Miami Beach, FL), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Helix 12 with color-changing LED lighting
Etched Surfaces
GKD can produce a wide variety of colors and finishes including: powder-coating, anodizing, and painting/printing. One of the most striking finish options is etching. Because the graphic elements are blasted directly into the surface of the stainless steel wire, the graphics are permanent and will not fade. Etched graphics are regularly utilized for branding for a variet of project types: corporate (logos), higher education (school mascots), and civic/cultural (artistic patterns). Other common applications include wayfinding and entrance indicators on parking structure facades.
Salina South High School (Salina, KS), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Omega 1510, etched graphics
CCLRT - West Bank Station (Minneapolis, MN), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Omega 1510; etched graphics
Liberty Fund Library (Carmel, IN), GKD Metal Fabrics, Pattern: Omega 1520; etched graphics
Mediamesh®
GKD also specializes in the production of transparent media facades. A stainless steel mesh system with interwoven LED’s, Mediamesh® is ideal for large-scale applications and can cover four times the surface area of traditional media displays with 80% less electricity. Mediamesh® also offers 60% transparency for enhanced solar shading and/or ventilation. This blank digital canvas is regularly used for advertising, wayfinding, public address, and/or showcasing art.
GKD Mediamesh®
Bass Biology Research Building at Stanford (Palo Alto, CA), GKD Metal Mesh, Pattern: Mediamesh®
Port Authority Bus Terminal (New York, NY), GKD Metal Mesh, Pattern: Mediamesh®
Cleveland Institute of Art (Cleveland, OH), GKD Metal Mesh, Pattern: Mediamesh®
Architectural Support
GKD’s emphasis on quality cannot be overstated. Extensive measures are taken to prevent corrosion of the 316L, marine-grade, stainless steel products by GKD. Absolutely no carbon-based steel is allowed into the shop. All stainless steel is isolated from dissimilar metals via neoprene gasketing or other materials as needed.
Similarly, GKD extends the emphasis on quality to include all aspects of the design and installation. GKD provides design assistance (spec’s/details), preliminary static calculations, shop drawings, and stamped engineering calculations for every project that enters the shop. The thoroughness with which GKD approaches the materialization of metal mesh designs is unparalleled, and one of the key reasons GKD is widely recognized as the global leader in technical metal weaving of architectural mesh systems.