http://www.press.ierek.com

ISSN (Print: 2357-0849, online: 2357-0857)

International Journal on:

Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

DOI: 10.21625/essd.v2i1.86

The Environmental and Economical Impacts of Using Media
Façades in Commercial Buildings in Egypt

Amal Abdou1, Iman Gawad2, Yasmine El-Touny3
1Head of Architectural Department, Faculty of Fine arts, Helwan University.

2Associate Professor at Faculty of Fine arts, Helwan University.
3Architect at Meamar El-morshedy, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract
Media façades is a subdivision of urban computing integrating digital displays into buildings, including structures
and road furniture. It is frequently connected with over-dimensional screens and vivified, lit up publicizing, and
places like Times Square. The façade is dematerialized and transformed into one immense promoting medium for
sending messages. Media façades can bring out the most assorted feelings, from a major city feeling to disturbance
at light contamination. They are likewise seen as Pop Art or as blemishes. Design tends to utilize media façades
increasingly as a stylistic component. What used to be added to exteriors after the building development more in
the method for a flaw is currently a part of the design procedure and offers new extension for visionary outline that
is authored to the term ’Mediatecture’.

This research identifies the impact of using media façades on commercial buildings environmentally and econom-
ically. In addition to that experimental design cases of interactive building façades will be discussed and a SWOT
analysis would be made to exemplify the challenges and discuss how they may be addressed. In addition, the
examples are presented to demonstrate how to work with the difficulties inalienable in media façade design forms,
taking into account the formation of different proposals for a media façade on current public buildings and new
ones in Egypt.

© 2019 The Authors. Published by IEREK press. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of ESSD’s International Scien-
tific Committee of Reviewers.

Keywords

Economical impacts; Environmental impacts; Media façade; Mediatecture; Media Intervention; Commercial build-
ings; SWOT analysis; design processes

1. Introduction

During the most recent years we have been confronting a developing need of including designers into procedures
of current city medialization. Media architecture changes the present idea of design and façade development, high-
lighting the part of correspondence between building structures and condition. Media façade is a façade that is
both aesthetically and functionally specific and in this manner states the connection between technology, archi-
tectural design, innovation and substance to new media introductions of present day art as well as communication
(Cikic-Tovarovic, Sekularac & Ivanovic-Sekularac, 2011).

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The term media façade depicts transforming the building façade into an extensive open screen by supplying its
external shell with smart, light-transmitting & interactive elements. Media façades allow correspondence by means
of technology onto a façade as advanced media, and media architecture represents the social, cultural and financial
ramifications of these façades for the instant environment. When managing media façades as huge scale advanced
screens from a human-PC cooperation point of view, we can define the term media façade as: media façades are
computerized open screens with subjective frame components and of self-assertive determination, which are made
by either preparing the external surface of a building with controllable, consistently molded, light discharging
components or by digital content projecting onto it of which are installed during the construction of a building.
Media façades are an obvious case of the computerized expansion of urban spaces. They signify the idea of
transforming the building surface into an extensive scale urban screen. Due to their tremendous size, they require
an interaction from a distance and they have an abnormal state of visibility. Moreover, they are installed in a very
dynamic urban environment with quickly changing conditions which result settings that are neither equivalent, nor
reproducible. All of this makes the installment of media façades a challenging mission (Gehring & Wiethof, 2014).

Design tends to utilize media façades more as an aesthetic element. What used to be added to façades after being
constructed as an aesthetic element is currently some portion of the design and construction procedure and offers
new extension for visionary outline which under the term ’Mediatecture’ (Frtiz, 2009).

Figure 1. Physical evolution of the screen

2. Who Will Make Use of its Conclusions?

Deliberately, media façade is another idea that permits helping the urban communities and make roads more ap-
pealing. A well-built media façade wins drivers and people on foot alike, improves the picture of big organizations,
and helps medium and little organizations to emerge among contenders. Therefore, there is a developing interest in
media façades covering the city space and attracting huge groups of viewers. Media façades might be interesting to
designers and architects, owners of buildings, advertising offices and television channels, advertising & marketing
specialists, social networks and internet resources, and sponsors and investors (Petrov, 2011).

3. Building Envelope (Façade)

There are few reviews researching building skin, building envelope and building façades where they all are di-
verse terms used to mark the outside components of a building. Powler and Kelbaugh characterized a ”building

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envelope” to be any surface that isolates the thermally conditioned inside of a building from its surrounding en-
vironment. As indicated by this definition, building envelope incorporates rooftops, outside walls, floors, ceilings
and foundations and each assume an enormous part in the sustainability of the building and how the buildings
react to various prerequisites. With a specific end goal to decide building necessities, (ASHRAE) characterized the
building envelope into two sections: the outside and the semi-outside parts of a building where the definition of
the building exterior envelope is: the components of a building that isolate the interior parts of the building from
the outside. While the building semi exterior envelope is: the components of a building that isolated conditioned
interior spaces from unconditioned spaces (Dewidar, Mahmoud, Magdy & Ahmed, 2010).

4. Media Façades

Urban architecture futuristically states that each and every piece of a future building will be associated digitally.
Buildings themselves will get to be a distinct media for correspondence especially for visual substance transform-
ing them into large displays. Media façades are the integration between digital displays and screens with buildings,
landmarks, and road structures. Generally “Media Façade” is a term for merging digital displays with the building
façade. Designers ought to have the capacity to manage this new material as an appearance of their design essen-
tially changes in a way that couldn’t have been envisioned before (Haeusler, 2009). One of the examples of the
enclosure of media façade in buildings is Times Square in New York.

With the appearance of the technology of SMD (Surface Mounted Gadget), high proficiency LEDs and intense
processors, digital screens are introducing new transparent media façades that can cover the buildings futuristi-
cally. The challenges and possibilities of building urban structures that is utilized as multidimensional screens are
gigantic. While there is a little uncertainty that the integration of media surfaces into design is unavoidable, these
new potential outcomes being a blend between an augmented PC screen, the building architecture may endure thus
of the rectangularity and flatness of the picture. In any case, that concern may not be completely viable as today’s
media surfaces can be shaped to any frame on the need.

Media façades has to take the proportions of the building when being designed and extra new parameters were
added to incorporate eyeball densities, viewing distances, daytime/evening lighting, the façade’s transparency,
ventilation needs, heat indulgence, ecological effects, human security, and so on. The media façade field is inter-
disciplinary, not exclusively does it include architecture studying and urbanism, additionally some fringe regions
of innovation, urban outline, technology, culture, art, marketing and advertising. Designing Media façade includes
investigations of some particular aspects of design that affect operational and utilitarian façade objectives.

Disappointingly, media façades are typically an idea in retrospect, and never adhere the architectural design because
they are still considered as ”digital screens” or ”signage” for advertising, that are not integrated in the architectural
design (Raheman, 2014).

4.1. Media Façades Types

Media façades’ classification can be due to various qualities and properties, and they might incorporate how they
display their content or how they are composed technically.

In spite of the fact that a media façade is a fairly enormous screen, the physical properties of media façades
contrast from custom desktop or mobiles. In particular, they accompany substantially bigger screens, and along
these lines distinctive viewing aspects and distances. Numerous media façades even cover more than one side
of a building’s façade, which gives them a 3D non-planar shape figure. Their resolution additionally may shift
incredibly according to the used technology. There are six different types of media façades:

– Front projection façades: extend media content specifically onto the façade by means of at least one video
projector.

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– Back projection façades: extend media content from behind the façade and onto translucent regions coor-
dinated into the building.

– Display façades: convey content through the coordination of Huge Screen Video Displays into the surface
of a building.

– Window animations: make utilization of the current windows in a building by lighting them up with the
goal that they are seen as pixels.

– Illuminant or light-transmitting façades: coordinate light-emitting components into their surfaces.

– Mechanical façades: utilize mechanically mobile components to change façade appearances.

The initial three façade types ordinarily include high resolution, while the later ones may bring down the resolution
as they depend on the building’s architecture (e.g., one window is equal to one pixel) (Haeusler, 2009).

4.2. Opportunities of Using Media Façades

Media façades are different from normal advertising architecture since they offer great environmental and eco-
nomical opportunities, especially for commercial buildings such as digital media tools that are integrated into the
built form both at the same time. Afterwards, the design process, image, graphic, video, and light installations are
designed by architects or graphic artists. Communication may be one way (spectator) or two-way (interactor), it
could be as an ornamentation integral element, façade has a digital flexibility, ephemerality shown as changeable
content and display through time, and sustainability by using PV cells or natural sources. Differences between
media façades and advertising architecture can be summed up in the following table.

Table 1. From “Advertising Architecture” to “Media Façade”: Communication through Digital Display Skin (Moza, 2012)

Advertising Architecture Media Façade
1. Attachment: digital media screens are attached onto
the built form afterward.

1. Integration: digital media tools are integrated into
the built form both at the same time & afterwards de-
sign process.

2. Façade: as a background for media content. 2. Façade: as a means of media content.
3. Display: Image , Graphic , & Letter installations are
defined by brand developers or specialist designers.

3. Display: Image , Graphic , Video, & Light installa-
tions are designed by architects or graphic artists.

4. Communication: one-way (spectator). 4. Communication: one way (spectator) & two-way
(interactor).

5. Decoration: Independent element. 5. Ornamentation: Integral element.
6. Stability: Façade has a stone stability. 6. Flexibility: Façade has a digital flexibility.
7. Durability: periodical advertising content & stable
billboards.

7. Ephemerality: changeable content & display
through time.

8. It is not sustainable not in all situations. 8. Sustainability : by using PV cells or natural sources.
9. Can not be used in temporary events. 9. Can be used for sound and light shows and interna-

tional competitions, promoting tourism.

4.3. The Challenges Facing the Usage of Media Façades

There were issues included by Gehring and Wiethof in 2014, for example: Locating within the façade since the
general appearance of the building having media façade is fundamentally shaped by position, shape and size of the
content of the media on façade itself or façades of buildings. In connection to the whole building, media content
may be: located on one façade or located in parts of all façades or located on the whole building. The relation to
the road must be studied where details must be viewed from a calculated distance (Fig. A), details level and the

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distance they are viewed from (Fig. B), the light coming from behind the façade (Fig. C) position of tall trees and
other potential hindrances and additionally water surfaces must be taken into consideration (Fig. D), Position of
other media façade adjacent media content intensity must be calculated and known (Fig. E).

Figure 2. Factors affecting the location of media content on certain structures

Moreover, dimensions, space, media façade shape, durability of the media façade, media façade visual comfort,
lighting, and maintaining a strategic distance from light contamination, the impact of temperature changes, fires and
wind speed, usage of sound and the connection to the encompassing land use, passersby, and the content, needs
trained designers and highly complicated programs. Light pollution with several negative impacts to humans,
animals and plants, & rising energy consumption are considered to be great issues on designing media façades
(Cikic-Tovarovic, Sekularac & Ivanovic-Sekularac, 2011).

In addition to these issues, there were several challenges stated by Dalsgaard and Halskov in 2010 that face the
design of media façades such as:

– New interfaces: urban setting prompts new types of interfaces.

– Integrating into buildings and environment: new establishments and frameworks must be incorporated into
existing physical environment.

– Expanded requests for power and strength: shifting light and climate conditions over which designers fre-
quently have nothing to do about must be considered.

– Creating specific content to suit the medium: the content needs to fit the screen.

– Adjusting partners and adjusting interests: exploring, arranging, changing, and adjusting partner interests
can be basic to achieve the system success.

– Differences of circumstances: a wide assortment of circumstances happen in the city - how does the media
façade fit into the circumstances in a given area?

– Changing social relations: the presentation of new innovations can bring about interruptions and change
social relations.

– Developing and unanticipated utilization of spaces: media façades will probably be utilized, seen and appro-
priated in diverse routes than designers plan.

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5. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using LEDs in Media Façades

Without getting too technical, we should still mention the important advantages of media façade over other digital
outdoor carriers such as LED’s. They are presently fit for yielding 135 lumens/watt so they are energy productive,
they have long lifetime - 50,000 hours or increasingly if legitimately designed, don’t neend a warm-up period.
LED’s light is in nanoseconds, not influenced by chilly temperatures, due to that LED’s ”like” low temperatures and
will startup even in below zero climate, directional. With LED’s you can coordinate the light where you need it, in
this way; no light is squandered and excellent color rendering. Moreover, LED’s don’t wash out hues like other light
sources, for example, fluorescents, making them ideal for presentations and retail applications, environmentally
inviting. LED’s also contain no mercury or different unsafe substances. LED’s are also controllable where can
be controlled for brilliance and shading. For case, a media façade may show graphic and shading impacts; text or
pictures, commercials or slide-appears, on-line video, sport occasions, channels of satellite or digital TV, real-time
data about car influxes, climate, money rates and crisis circumstances.

Although it has many advantages, we can’t overlook the disadvantages. LEDs are as of now more costly for starting
expense, LED execution relies on effectively designing the installation to deal with the warmth produced by it, and
they must be provided with the right voltage and current at a steady stream. This requires some hardware skill to
design the electronic drivers (Petrov, 2011).

6. The Interaction With Human Beings: Immersive Environment Experimentation

The development of the media façade has allowed the interaction with surrounding humans and passersby, where
they become a part of the building and interacting with it. As Simone Arcagni expressed, ”The film re-situates
around the local area” and ”because of the participation of the media, this present reality is changed into a lasting
show in which all the limits amongst performing artist and observer, amongst reproduction and reality, history and
appeal tumble down” (Arcagni 2010, p. 40).

In contemporary architecture, brilliant and enlightened surfaces, electronic screens, video projections, and intel-
ligent media are progressively normal, combining and covering the physical surface of the conventional city. It
is very similar to a communication amongst genuine and virtual world. The advancement of the computerized
applications to architecture makes a vital change on man’s association with the architecture. There are many
investigations of advanced application to architecture (Gasparini, 2014).

7. Environmental Factors: The Impact of LED Displays

A building façade shields the building from wind, rain, dust and heat. As any electrical machine, LED screens
additionally affect nature and the other way around. The customary LED screens, especially in huge sizes, have
gigantic ecological results that keep them from being deployed as building façades. They produce a huge amount
of warmth that can’t be dispersed without the utilization of air-conditioners, and don’t permit free flow of air and
light amongst outside and inside; thus affecting the indoor condition and aesthetically. However, transparent LEDs
utilize less energy, they are lighter, and they permit some level of transparency for associating the outside with
inside (Raheman, 2014).

8. Energy and Economic Sustainability

Thinking about the media façade and environmental setting issues and also the sustainability of energy, two primary
classes implied for examining the conceivable outcomes of energy sustainability ought to be recognized:

– Consumption of energy amid generation of material and components and ecological effect.

– Consumption of energy amid office operation.

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The primary elements of green economical media architecture are: firstly, biologically and ecological development
by decreasing the utilization of materials, using renewable assets, ”clean” innovations amid creation, establish-
ment, recycling and reusing materials, wellbeing and speed, safety in producation, transport and establishment.
Secondly, reduction in consumption of energy amid production, transport and establishment, amid the misuse of
structures, actively, through photovoltaic cells in media design, passively, through maintaining a strategic distance
from sunlight, which requires extra fake lightning (Cikic-Tovarovic et al., 2011).

9. Light Pollution

Light pollution requires general concern when designing media façades especially when we are concentrating
on the environmental impact of the façade on the surroundings. One of the best accomplishments of life is the
ability to help our living space to lighten up in the evening. The enlightenment of both open and private spaces
has expanded fundamentally over late years. The inspiration for this is various: industry factories are running 24
hours, city thruways are lit up to guarantee movement security, numerous authentic destinations are highlighted to
attract travelers and an ever-increasing number of privates are utilizing outside light to forestall thefts. However,
this advancement brings likewise certain downsides, which must be broken down. In spite of all eagerness for new
advances and their advantages for humanity, it ought not to be neglected to tip the fingers on basic improvements.
The negative effects cannot be denied, such as light scatterings that can annoy people on shining into houses. Night
sky exploration can be difficult with the presence of too much light. There is also a waste of electrical power since
only a little amount of light is useful. There is a negative effect on the nature and untamed life; influencing the
behavior of natural life creatures, causing a negative effect on plants, influencing their development cycles, causing
dangerous effect on immigrant birds, which are diverted and getting perplexed. Moreover, billions of insects die
on the surfaces of open lights, thus, decreasing regular nourishment for birds. In addition, offensive advertising
could occupy drives, particularly amid evening time, causing accidents (Wachlowski, 2011).

10. International Case Studies

The media façade responds effectively to outside triggers from its surrounding. If present day sensor advances
(climate, temperature, traffic and light) are considered, it is not hard to run a media façade in the receptive mode.
Along these lines, the media façade can ”respond” to certain outside factors.

Outer factors could be a few parameters from the city, similar to climate, daytime, traffic density, or even office
action. The media façade turns into a dynamic building skin which ponders effectively its condition. It can rethink
itself consistently and build up its own dialect.

10.1. Tower of Winds

Figure 3. Tokyo Ito, Tower of winds, Yokohama 1986; (Wachlowski, 2011).

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The first case has been executed in 1986 in Nippon: the ”Tower of Winds” in Yokohama, which is a 21-meter
high ventilating tower from a shopping center, changes measured wind power into different light movements on
its surface. Amid daytime, the punctured metal surface appears to be smaller, however, when the daybreak comes,
the building uncovers its progression. As different info parameters are being registered progressively as indicated
by a specific equation, people are unable to comprehend a basic reliance between a solitary parameter and the
movement. In this way, the movement remains a puzzle failing to get unsurprising (Wachlowski, 2011).

10.2. DEXIA Tower in Brussels

Another great case is the DEXIA Tower in Brussels, responding to temperature. Climate Tower is an urban estab-
lishment from the Belgian Design Agency Lab. It gauges tomorrow’s temperature, precipitations, cloudiness and
wind by utilizing hues and geometrical patterns to envision/translate continuous information given by the Royal
Meteorological Institute of Belgium. The building consists of 6000 windows, though behind each is a lighting
installation that consists of 12 lights, each with three LEDs—a green, a red and a blue—that can be consolidated
into an entire color palette. A color code relates to tomorrow’s temperature contrasted with the month to month
normal, connected to a size of color temperatures running from red (6◦ or hotter), orange (4◦), yellow (2◦), green
(month to month normal), cyan (- 2◦), blue (- 4◦) to violet (- 6◦) or colder (Wachlowski, 2011).

Figure 4. Weather tower, Brussels; (Wiederker, 2011)

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10.3. GreenPix

GreenPix is the first usage of economical, digital and sustainable media technology to the glass curtain wall.
The building, including with the world’s biggest colored LED screen and first photovoltaic cells, executes as an
independent system that supplies its own particular energy for the light display. PV cells absorb the sunlight by day
and utilize it to enlighten the screen and to make the light show at the evening time. The façade can demonstrate
playback recordings, live substance, including live exhibitions, and client created content that are designed by
specialists. The solid box shaped building picks up an informative viewpoint with its innovative ”smart second
skin” (Moza, 2012).

Figure 5. GreenPix; Day and night

10.4. New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal

New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal Covers 6,000 square feet of the façade and 25,000 square feet of
architectural lighting. Utilizing Mediamesh, which is a stainless steel work texture with entwined LED profiles and
with associated media controls, introduced behind it where the LEDs render the pictures onto the façade, uses 80
percent less power than customary LED show items, Mediamesh® is a transparent framework that does not totally
shut off the façade. The architecture of the building is hence not obliterated, and when shut down; the Mediamesh®

façade is likewise coordinated as an agreeable component of the architectural design (JP, 2015).

11. Media Façades in Egypt

Media façades are considered a new induction to Egypt, and are starting to be used widely across the country. They
are mostly used on commercial and public buildings, mostly as an advertising medium. A couple of examples will
be studied in the next section.

11.1. Commercial Buildings

11.1.1. Downtown Mall

Downtown Mall is in the heart of New Cairo, located on the 90th road in New Cairo’s fifth settlement. Based on
44,000 m2 of land, this grand business and corporate office focus is situated on the primary street 90 in New Cairo.
It comprises nine little buildings, where the ground and first floor in all buildings are committed to retail shops
and eateries. Among the nine buildings, four have five stories of office space. One of Katameya Downtown’s
extraordinary focal points is its expansive open-air recreational and dining region. A substantial LED façade is
situated on the corner over the building, which promotes for the brands in the shopping center. On asking passersby

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and drivers about the façade, they remarked that it hurt their eyes during the evening because of the glare and it
causes distraction for drivers while the audiences complain about not having a large space in front of the façade to
easily see it and check the brands it is promoting.

11.2. Public Buildings

11.2.1. Laser Projection

Laser projection is utilized as a part of sound and light show on Public Buildings where MISR organization for
Sound, Light and Cinema works on the sound and Light shows in the different archeological zones such as the
speaks by sphinx (pyramids) territory at Giza governorate, Karnak sanctuary at Luxor governorate, Faila sanctuary
at Aswan governorate, Abu SIMBLE sanctuary at Abu Simble zone, Edfo sanctuary at Edfo zone. They are
universally eminent as their verifiable acculturated esteem is basic beyond depiction. The breakthrough innovation
of lighting, laser and projection are used for envisioning the concealed divisions of Pharaonic Egyptian human
civilization.

The company does the future activities at the Egyptian archeological destinations and different ones of touristic
fascination, creates them and issues the photos, prints matters and multimedia according to the exceptional tech-
nology. The company also oversees and does the touristic benefit ventures identified with them, including the
touristic transport administrations, association of imaginative shows at the archeological locales and of all what
goes for engendering the way of life and expressions. This is done in order to keep pace with the most recent

Figure 6. New York City’s PortAuthority Bus Terminal

Figure 7. Downtown Mall Media Façade

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world accomplishments satisfied in this association whether by itself or through support with outsider (”Sound and
Light”, 2010).

Figure 8. Laser tagging on historical buildings

11.3. Events

11.3.1. 3D Mapping on the Library of Alexandria

A 3D video mapping show was anticipated on 21 and 22 May 2014 on the façade of Egypt’s Bibliotheca Alexand-
rina, the cultural center and main library in the Mediterranean zone. The execution entitled ”Enlarged Reality: 3D
Video Mapping Show on Ancient Alexandria” was composed by the International Augmented Med venture, sup-
ported under the Mediterranean Cross-Border Cooperation program to advance tourism and archeological locations
improvement.

The subject of the projection, which joined sound and lighting impacts with digital & virtual components, is the
historical backdrop of Alexandria from its foundation until the classical period ended, with an extraordinary con-
centrate on the principle fascination destinations of the city and its authentic turning points. The show included
adjacent to the established video projection, lasers, smart lighting, controlled blazes, a water curtain and an ad-
vanced 3D Audio 8 framework (”Laseronics-me”, 2014).

Figure 9. 3D Mapping on the Library of Alexandria

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11.3.2. Artistic Projection on the Bourse Building in Media City in Cairo

The opening of the sixteenth Cairo Arab Media Awards and as anticipated onto a full size beautiful imitation of the
old Cairo Stock Exchange building. The Bourse building in media city in Cairo was anticipated in the opening of
the sixteenth Cairo Arab Media Awards. They utilized artistic projection façade. The artistic projection functions
as follows:

– A motion picture was projected onto a full size picturesque reproduction of the old Cairo Stock Exchange
building (otherwise called the ’Bourse’) which is a piece of one of the present film sets being used at the
studio praising the historical backdrop of Egypt and the improvement of the Arab media—covering print,
radio, TV, advanced media and the web.

– The imaginative process included 3D mapping of the building so the projections and work of art could be
fitted to the architecture, permitting it to be utilized as a genuine 3D surface instead of simply having level
projections connected. Impacts included moving pictures inside the windows, pivoting sections and veil
contra-cover impacts.

– The projection framework comprised of 4 x 6K PIGI projectors with twofold pivoting scrolls, two of which
were utilized to fill the surface, and the other two to accomplish the cross blurring and contra-concealing.
The toss distance was 60 meters, and the pictures secured the total of the 32-meter wide ’building’ (Evans,
2011).

Figure 10. Bourse Building in Media City in Cairo

12. SWOT Analysis for the Previous Case Studies

A SWOT analysis was conducted on the case studies with enviromental/ ecological and economical criterias and by
studying the SWOT analysis for the case studies we found that from the ecological aspects: there was one strength
point of using the media façades which was the building can react with the surrounding environmental conditions
changing its colors according to the wind or temperature. On the other hand, the weakness were so much such
as visual discomfort and light pollution, and implementation of sound and the relation to the surrounding land
users and the audience. While the opportunities were creating bird-friendly façades so that the birds won’t hit it
when they are flying, and they could also be used in environmental ads and save materials used in traditional ads
that harm the environment. It also had threats such as the effect of temperature changes (thermal discomfort) and
that bright lights might affect human/plants/ animals negatively. As for the economical aspects, the strengths were
obvious as media façades were used in advertising and decoration, they could also be used in promoting tourism,
landmark buildings and changeable content, and display through time as opportunities. Unfortunately there were
weaknesses and threats, such as devices that cost a lot and need trained engineers, and it might affect the façade if
used on a heritage building. While the opportunities were that they could be a source of income to owner, could
promote tourism, landmark buildings & changeable content & display through time.

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Table 2. SWOT Analysis for the case studies

Criteria Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Environmental

/Ecological

- The building
can react with the
surrounding environ-
mental conditions
changing its colors
- Pv Cells can be
installed to generate
electricity during
morning times

- Visual discomfort,&
light pollution
- Will cause eye strain
and distraction to
drivers especially at
night
- Implementation of
sound & the relation
to the surrounding
land users

-Create bird-
friendly façades so
the birds won’t hit
it when they are
flying
- Can be used in
environmental ads
and save materials
used in traditional
ads that harm the
environment.

- The effect of tem-
perature changes
- (Thermal discom-
fort)
- bright lights
might affect hu-
man/plants/
animals negatively

Economical - Used in advertising
- Used in decoration
- Can be used to
promote charity
events and for
sound and light
shows/competitions

- High initial cost
- High lifecycle costs
(operation and main-
tenance)
- Needs special exper-
tise for design and in-
stallation, causing ex-
tra cost.

- Income to owner
- Promoting
tourism
- Landmark Build-
ings
- Changeable
content & display
through time

- Might affect the
façade if used on a
Heritage building

Moreover, studying the previous international and national case studies, we find that, there are different types
of media façades and most of them are and could applied in Egypt. Due to the reason that they would have great
potentials such as: they would strengthen the Egyptian tourism by advanced Sound and Light Shows, acknowledge-
ment of Egyptian monuments, can be used in public buildings openings, or in advertising and significant events
(Matches, Concerts, . . . ). Most importantly that they might not affect the surrounding ecology and enviroment
negatively and it might be a source of income for the buidling they are being projected on.

However, we can’t ignore the limitations it has such as: it needs trained designers, highly complicated programs,
an open area, it might cause the loss of traditional identities, causes light pollution with several negative impacts
to humans, animals and plants and rising energy consumption.

However, these limitations could be solved and managed by time and by training designers, using high-tech equip-
ment that doesn’t cause heat, light or noise pollution.

13. Results and Conclusion

According to the analyses and discussions above, this paper’s conclusions may be summarized as follows:

Egypt is located in the North African desert; this topographical area gives the Egyptian atmosphere a few attributes,
which influences on designing any building. Egyptian atmosphere is arid, hot dry summers, cold winters and rarely
any precipitation which will urge designers to design building skins that will have the capacity to give natural
ventilation, shading and lessen the consumption of energy.

Media Façades are turning out to be increasingly universal in the urban condition: we can find little ones in
cafeterias displaying menus; greater ones in shopping centers providing store registry data, for example; gigantic
promoting brand item over a whole building façade. Subsequently of their inescapable universality, there has
been an expansion in research around them, particularly how individuals interface, engage, and facilitate around
them. So we can presume that a media façade comprises essentially of animated photos and light created by
electronic gadgets and is not only a decoration, so its function is not just ornamental, but rather, with its potential

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Abdou / Environmental Science and Sustainable Development, ESSD

for representation it is used for interaction between the building and its surrounding environment. The utilization
of programming and computerized shows connected to the building façades, regardless of whether they are glass,
plastic or metal is changing drastically the importance of architecture. Both, video and architecture are not only
aesthetic, but they are as well innovative mediums, with its characteristic technological restricts. Nonetheless,
media façade configuration is joined by various particular issues that have been mentioned in the previous sections.
Making a legitimate system for the procedure of media façade configuration represents a decent stage for subjective
association between media and architecture, and different fields too.

In addition to that, we can see how media façades can affect the building economically and environmentally as
shown in the SWOT analysis, how it could be a source of income to the building that uses its façade by promoting
tourism or different advertisements. In addition to the environmental point of view, it could provide information
about the weather as shown in the DEXIA Tower case study, and special LEDs that could be used to be birds
friendly.

To put it plain, up until now, researches about media façades have occurred in various groups, for example; design,
architecture, and art, which permits us to start collecting current discoveries, to move to better approaches for
considering, and to sum up disciplines, working towards building a general comprehension of coordinating media
façades in the architectural building design.

14. Recommendations and Further Researches That Can Be Done Based on This
Research

Other researches could be done to determine the impact of using media façades on commercial buildings in Egypt
can be done by studying social and cultural aspects. Designers ought to consider critical issues for proficient
building façades; these issues influence the technologies added to building façades considering its cost and how
proper it is for the building necessities. In this way vitality sparing, designers ought to properly select site for
working, as the plan highlights changes with site climatic qualities, be mindful of any huge change in climatic
conditions in the site. Then properly choose the best façade innovation that serves the objective of the building,
choose proper ventilation techniques that are reasonable for the building use and notify to all PC demonstrating
that can lead the designer to the correct execution of the ideal façades’ techniques.

References

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	Introduction
	 Who Will Make Use of its Conclusions?
	Building Envelope (Façade) 
	Media Façades
	Media Façades Types
	Opportunities of Using Media Façades
	The Challenges Facing the Usage of Media Façades

	Advantages and Disadvantages of Using LEDs in Media Façades
	The Interaction With Human Beings: Immersive Environment Experimentation
	Environmental Factors: The Impact of LED Displays
	Energy and Economic Sustainability
	Light Pollution
	International Case Studies
	Tower of Winds
	DEXIA Tower in Brussels
	GreenPix
	 New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal

	Media Façades in Egypt
	Commercial Buildings
	Downtown Mall

	Public Buildings
	Laser Projection

	Events
	3D Mapping on the Library of Alexandria 
	Artistic Projection on the Bourse Building in Media City in Cairo 


	SWOT Analysis for the Previous Case Studies
	Results and Conclusion
	Recommendations and Further Researches That Can Be Done Based on This Research