Outdoor company debuts with 2000sqm wrap

Newly-formed Wideopen Platform Australia has gone big with its first outdoor job in Australia, a 2000sqm building wrap for Sydney Airport, printed by Cactus Imaging.

 

The installation was completed by Complete Banner Supplies, and the job is the first in Australia to meet new standards for fire safety, using fire retardant materials. It is also the largest piece of print in the country right now.

 

Marc Middlecote, director, Wideopen Platform Australia, explains, “Wideopen is a specialist large format media company, who introduced large format building wraps to the South African market in the early 2000s. We have been setting up in Australia for close on two years now, and this is our first project. Something of this scale takes time but patience, persistence and teaming up with the right people are key for a successful launch. I believe we’ve found that in Australia.

“Any installation, large or small, presents its own challenges. With this installation, the biggest challenge was ensuring that the banner mesh that we installed had a suitable flame retardancy rating, which it does.

“On airport land, we had to go through two approval bodies, Airport Building Control, appointed by the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development and Sydney Planning Approvals. That in itself, was a six month process.”

 

Keith Ferrel, general manager, Cactus Imaging, says, “We printed the job on our Fujifilm Uvistar.

 

“It is the first building wrap printed on fire-retardant mesh to Australian standards, which will be the norm now.

 

“There was a lot of R&D involved in printing on the new product, across ink adhesion, welding strength, it was exhaustive. With the manufacturer we went through a number of coating changes, to make sure it was strong enough for a 2000sqm print. The whole process took several months.

 

“Being so big, you can put it up initially, then you have to let the elements take their place, and then you have to go back and re-tighten them. There is some stretching with the heat and the sun, but it is not something you can leave.”

 

Middlecote says, “Something on this scale offers impact and a wow factor that creates an iconic site. The first location is key, there couldn’t be a more fitting entrance into Australia than through Sydney Airport.

 

“Thanks must go out to the entire project team that helped get us there. The team at Cactus have been incredibly helpful, I am extremely glad we teamed up with them.”

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