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Kinetic façades have been trending for some time and are ever popular among architects, as our very own collection of impossibly dynamic façades attests. Often, mechanisms are integrated into the building envelope to aid ventilation, solar shading, lighting or unadulterated visual thrills — but what if a mobile elevation could provide real usable space with the flick of a switch?
Designed by Amsterdam-based firm HofmanDujardin Architects and developed by renowned French manufacturer Kawneer, the Bloomframe balcony has been on the drawing board for many years now. A computer-generated demonstration caused a stir across the internet as far back as 2008, offering a tantalizing glimpse of how the product could animate the exterior of luxury skyscrapers across the globe, from Manhattan high-rises to Parisian condominiums.
Late that year, a working prototype was presented at the international construction exhibition “Batimat” in Paris. The 1:1 scale model shows an upper glass section coupled with an opaque panel that folds down to become the floor of the balcony. Engineering details for such a device have proven challenging to perfect, though, and Kawneer is continuing development to ensure the balcony is robust enough without compromising on the sleek, modern aesthetic.
More recently, HofmanDujardin released an updated video of the Bloomframe in an enticing new context: an entire apartment building is shown with dozens of balconies emerging and retracting across an elegant façade of glass and obsidian steel. Issues of cost and maintenance would suggest these kinetic windows will not become ubiquitous, but for high-end residential developments in New York and further afield, it may well be an attractive option for architects and clients alike.
For more from HofmanDujardin Architects, explore the firm’s beautifully photographed built projects on Architizer.
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Top image via HofmanDujardin Architects