Apedestrian-only city center, ONE City Plaza in Greenville, S.C., is the city’s newest mixed-use hub, featuring retail, dining and university and office spaces. The space is designed to draw people downtown.

Greenville was once known as the “textile center of the world,” and Denver, Colo.-based Civitas Inc., designer of ONE City Plaza, wanted to pay homage to the city’s past by incorporating a metal fabric shade structure. The company turned to Banker Wire, Mukwonago, Wis., for its S-12 architectural woven wire mesh.

S-12 has a low percent open area, providing shade without entirely blocking out light. By day, the 20-by-125-foot shade structure shields guests from the sun, allowing them to dine, lounge and stroll in comfort. By night, small LED lights mounted on the structure’s frame illuminate the tables and walkway below. The mesh filters and reflects the light, giving the plaza a soft glow.

R.F. Knox Company Inc., a fabricator based in Smyrna, Ga., executed Civitas’ vision by surrounding the mesh with U-edge frames. The U-edge provides the strength needed to form the structure without distracting from the mesh’s aesthetic. The entire structure is mounted on columns and surrounded by greenery and seating.

“We worked directly with Banker Wire while detailing this design,” says Todd Mead, principal with Civitas Inc., designer of ONE City Plaza. “They sent samples to us and to the lighting designer. We tested them for their ability to provide shade, and the lighting designer ensured that the light fixtures and mesh worked together correctly.” Photos: Banker Wire