Gibus: 'Our cassette awnings are functional and durable, with great visual impact'

Gibus has profiled itself as a European leader in high end outdoor design for the private market and the hospitality sector for over forty years. Since last year, the company, which is headquartered in Saccolongo, near Padua, has had a branch in Zwolle, from where it serves the Dutch-speaking market. 

"Gibus strives to understand the needs of its customers around the world and then respond to them with its offerings," says Gibus Netherlands General Manager Martijn Westenbrink. "That offering includes a wide range of folding roofs, bioclimatic pergolas, awnings and zipscreens. Gibus' products are distinguished by their exclusive design and great attention to the well-being of end users, as well as energy and environmental aspects." 

Within its product range, Gibus has always paid particular attention to cassette screens. "They combine reliable technology and functionality with aesthetics and contemporary touches," Westenbrink said. Within Gibus' offering for this product group, the three models Nodo, TXT, and Duck are worth mentioning. They are the result of collaboration between the company's R&D department and the industrial design studio Meneghello Paolelli. The objective of the collaboration was to achieve an optimal combination of technology, efficiency and beauty. 

The Nodo, 2020 winner of the Red Dot Award and the iF Design Award, is suitable for both wall and ceiling mounting. The inclination angle of the screen can range from 0° to 90. "This screen can fit harmoniously into a wide variety of situations," Westenbrink believes. "It is characterized by a square shape with a circular hinge point. The central hinge, with which the desired inclination of the screen can be infinitely adjusted, provides a fixed pivot point. Regardless of the inclination of the screen, the fabric always looks attractive." 

The Nodo is an authentic technological transposition of natural geometries, they believe at Gibus. This goes beyond the simple concept of an awning, because thanks to the Nodo, a residential environment with a character all its own is created. 

The generously sized TXT articulated screen for facade mounting - also winner of the Red Dot Award in 2020 - has a cassette in the shape of a parallelepiped, a polyhedron with six sides that are all parallelograms. What is striking about this screen are the parallel aluminum slats, which, according to Gibus' designers, serve a dual function: a quirky design with a sense of lightness, but also camouflage the visible technical elements. 

"As an architectural element with its own identity, the TXT can easily stand alone, even when the screen is closed," Westenbrink believes. "With its sophisticated design, it beautifies any facade. But it is also functional. Extremely quiet and, in addition, it can be fitted with optional LED lighting in both the cassette and the drop profile."

The Duck articulated screen also has its own identity, thanks to an innovative and also Red Dot Award-winning design with rounded shapes. Gibus describes the screen as an original interpretation of the three elements that make up an articulated screen: wall support, cassette and front frame. In the Duck, the round cassette and support form one element, so to speak. The front frame - reminiscent of a duck's beak, hence the name - is both functional and visually the closure of the screen. 

Another standout within the Gibus range is the Segno articulated screen. This screen has a rectangular cassette that stands out with a refined line pattern. The Segno can be equipped with lighting so that the terrace can still be used even when the sun is down and it gets dark.

In addition to providing protection from the sun, energy efficiency and improving the livability of the interior space of homes and buildings, Gibus says that beautifying the patio is also an important function of the Nodo, TXT, Duck and Segno articulated awnings. These screens are suitable for both residential and hospitality environments and can be adapted to numerous situations in terms of shape, color of hardware, fabric selection and dimensions. 

In doing so, Gibus pays attention not only to ensuring that the tastes and needs of people - occupants and users - can always be met. What the Italian manufacturer also considers important - in keeping with a national tradition - is that their screens touch the highest aesthetic level in order to be optimally integrated into any architectural context and any natural environment in which they are inserted. 

In addition, Gibus attaches importance to the fact that its awnings are functional to effectively protect terraces as well as interior spaces from the sun. As a result, these screens not only improve the living environment on terraces, but also increase the livability and energy efficiency of indoor spaces. After all, the use of air conditioning can then be reduced, resulting in lower electricity consumption, which helps protect the planet.