SolPix: A Giant LED Display That Doubles as a Solar Shield

SolPix combines two of the biggest trends in facade architecture: Solar shielding and media walls. It functions first as a set of heavy-duty blinds that can shift according to the strength of the sun.

But the blinds themselves have photovoltaics in them, as well as LEDs. The PV array uses the energy it gathers to create the media facade pictured below:

In addition, the system monitors its own performance, and visualizes it in motion graphics that play across the facade:

This is among the biggest and most advanced installations being unveiled this Friday at the opening of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum's Design Triennial. This year's theme is design that tackles the world's most pressing problems. SolPix is also largest working prototype produced by Simone Giostra & Partners Architects, so far. They hope that eventually, the system will be deployed by others looking to make their buildings both glitzy and green.