Place: Madrid, SpainClient: Banco Popular (Popular Inc.)Scope of work: Decorative and darkening curtainsStatus: Installed August 2017Size: 9m x 68m double layered curtainInside Outside was assigned to design two curtains for an auditorium in Banco Popular’s new building that is designed by Ayala Arquitectos in Madrid.The auditorium building is a free standing cube with 3 glass facades. A transparent box, partially covered by a stripe of white louvres separating the North facade from the garden. An outdoor pavilion standing in the garden right against the auditorium’s stage strengthens the connection of the interior space with the outer garden stronger and the stage double sided.The auditorium space is used for events and presentation of the bank. Therefore two curtains, one darkening and one decorative were suggested to hang on a U-shaped track of 63 m length covering three 9 m high glass facades .The decorative curtain is a double layered (mesh & voile) semitransparent curtain with large prints and applications filtering day light and view, creating privacy. The darkening curtain is a minimal black out drop divided horizontally in two light grey and black colors which when used for presentations create a better human scale for the stage.As a reflection on the program of the auditorium where investors and bankers gather in an EU bank, “Europe was chosen as the main concept of the imagery in the decorative curtain.Europa, a political entity with physical borders and a mythical figure with a currency has been an aspiration for the graphical representation of the curtain. A closer look into Euro bank notes has introduced different graphical concepts. Double side print, hidden codes, watermarks and windows from banknotes are used in harmony with linearity and the transparency from architecture.While the transparent black and white double sided mesh stands out bold with large scaled floating graphical shapes and openings, the voile layer has a softer presence towards inside holding figurative elements. Architecture figures representing European historical eras filled with geometrical money patterns. Yellow Omron rings and touches of golden application as the only colored elements of the curtain represent hidden codes and value of money in an elegant manner.Team Inside Outside: Petra Blaisse with Aura Luz Melis, Peter Niessen, Nafsika Efklidou, Nika Jazaei, Chantal Vos, Esther BentvelsenPhotographs: © Inside Outside; © Frans Parthesius