Large-format textile digital printing: The PONGS® Group has produced an XXL textile print for KölnSKY.
For the event venue on the 28th floor of the Triangle Tower in Cologne, with its panoramic views out over Cologne Cathedral, the company headquartered in Westphalian Stadtlohn has manufactured a special 26.5 meter long surface design for a circular interior wall. The motif on the textile wall covering is a symbolic representation of the brightness of the sky. Such XXL prints are in keeping with the trend towards customisation within the interiors sector. “The newly created wall makes our 28th floor feel even more spacious and appealing. The design fits in wonderfully with all the events and decorations”, points out Michael Stern, Managing Partner of KölnSKY GmbH.
The wall covering spans a total of 93 square metres along a length of 26.5 metres all around the circular KölnSKY. The PONGS® DESCOR WALL & CEILING SYSTEM was used for the interior decoration. The main component is the DESCOR® PREMIUM textile, produced from polyester yarn. The technical textile is an extremely flame retardant product that has been certified as a construction material and is even used in environments with extremely stringent fire protection regulations such as on the Harmony of the Seas cruise ship. The motif on the KölnSKY wall covering deliberately makes reference to the event venue as Ralf Uhler, who created the design, explains: “The special print motif captures the lighting atmosphere above Cologne in the early morning and late evening hours.” To KölnSKY visitors it conveys connotations of the brightness of the sky, the passing clouds or the ornate flight formation of a flock of birds, says the creative director at PONGS® – and, last but not least, the effervescence of an uncorked bottle of champagne. “The horizontally positioned line through the textile print is a playful interpretation of the Cologne skyline and panorama.”
PONGS® manufactured the textile wall covering with its XXL print at its own production facilities in Mühltroff, Saxony. The individual DESCOR® sheets manufactured internally were also printed on site at the same time. These were then manually stretched in a pre-installed profile rail system in the KölnSKY using a blade. “Stretching produces an amazingly smooth surface and a beautiful appearance for viewers” says Uhler. The curved nature of the wall in the KölnSKY proved to be a challenge: Access needed to be maintained to video projection, storage rooms and the stairs. Since the textile does not fray, the fabric can be cut at the relevant places and concealed. The careful installation technique and precise printing ensure a uniform image in spite of individual sheets. “The result is a high-tech look in classic craftsmanship” says Helena Klosa, Head of Marketing and Design at PONGS®. “Our wall coverings are opening up new possibilities for custom room designs for planners.” Textile surfaces may even overtake traditional surfaces. One particular benefit is faster, cleaner installation.
The optional digital printing – DESCOR® textiles are already available in plain printed versions or with shading – is driving the trend for interior design customisation forward. This enables full-coverage designs as well as the reproduction of a photograph or a graphic on textiles. Montpellier City Hall, for example, is adorned with an artistic reproduction of historical documents printed on a large-format wall covering by PONGS®. “Virtually no other wall or ceiling design is as versatile and flexible as a textile covering” adds Klosa. Not just the fact that the wall material underneath is preserved and that the textile is fully removable again without damage to the original substance: because of their ease of installation and removal, textile wall or ceiling coverings can be changed quickly. That way, different occasions can be visually supported with a corresponding design.
The PONGS® Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of technical textiles and technical digital print media. With over 100 years’ of textiles expertise, today the company manufactures broadwoven fabrics at its facilities in Westphalian Stadtlohn and Mühltroff in Saxony, and provides solutions for wall and ceiling coverings, visual merchandising, trade fairs and events, theatre and stage and decoration. PONGS® has all the key production stages of warping, weaving and knitting covered as well as finishing, graphics, digital printing and material manufacture.
