There’s nothing more satisfying than a job well done. From design to installation, that’s what we’re proud to do for our clients. And that’s why our clients keep coming back for more! Our reputation is built on the trust we’ve developed with a wide variety of people, from developers to private clients and event organisers. 

Building wraps are a particular speciality of ours, so we pride ourselves on the exceptional quality of our service when it comes to designing and installing the best, most ambitious, and most impactful wraps for your project. There’s more to building wraps than just keeping your progress under wraps – they’re the perfect blank canvas for a large-scale marketing campaign. The right wrap can boost your brand awareness and engagement more than any targeted campaign.

In our many years designing and printing building wraps, we’ve accumulated success stories that show just what a building wrap can do for you. We’re going to take a deep dive into one of those stories and explore building wraps, their potential, and what makes Mesh Direct special, just in case you needed some convincing. Without further ado, let’s jump in!

What is a Building Wrap?

Building wraps are defined by two things: their size (massive), and their locations (on a building, usually undergoing construction or renovation). They serve a few practical purposes, such as keeping away prying eyes, keeping your site clear of dust and debris, and ensuring staff safety, but they’re also one of the great forms of traditional outdoor advertising, the next-gen evolution of billboards. To do all of this well, our building wraps are made of designated waterproof, wind-resistant, and fire-retardant high-quality banner mesh with the best print reproduction. We attach these around scaffolding by welding panels together and attaching them with ratchet straps and cable ties to ensure perfect tension and security. We never compromise form or function – we make sure our products are the best at both! 

What are the Benefits of a Building Wrap?

Building wraps have many benefits, on multiple levels. From hiding the chaos of construction sites to providing protection for staff and passers-by, they do it all. But they also create the perfect opportunity for an on-site, branded advertising campaign. In this capacity, they’re just another form of traditional outdoor advertising – just very big, very visible, and associated with your company, your project, and your progress. 

Building wraps are a powerful way to brand your site, clearly putting your stamp on the development project. But they can also be used to advertise a specific project, promote your site before it’s ready to be revealed, generate interest and awareness, and generally show off. Buiding wraps make a BIG statement, and they’re hard for passers-by to ignore or miss. What’s more, if they’re well designed, passers-by won’t want to miss them! 

Due to their size and locations, building wraps reach a large and varied audience. This increases your brand reach, and makes your brand part of the daily lives of thousands of people. By contributing (tastefully!) to the urban aesthetics, building wraps create positive associations with your brand in the minds of the audience, who begin to think of your brand as a part of their city, and something beautiful. Through your building wraps, your brand ends up becoming an intimate part of people’s daily lives. 

IB Projects: a Building Wrap for the Ages

Back in 2016-2017, London-based firm Zaha Hadid Architects designed a winning proposal for the refurbishment of the former Victoria Police Headquarters, on St Kilda Road (Melbourne). They chose to collaborate with IB Projects to bring the ambitious development, The Mayfair, to fruition. 

Ireland Brown Projects, established in 2015 in the wake of Ireland Brown Constructions’ success, has been delivering quality commercial constructions across Victoria ever since. They specialise in display suites, refurbishments, light commercial, and residential constructions, and, just like us at Mesh Direct, prioritise communication and collaboration with clients in order to exceed their expectations. 

Leading up to the development, IB Projects needed a stunning building wrap for The Mayfair, one which would promote the development and generate excitement, interest, and optimism around the refurbishment of this chapter in Melbourne’s history. Due to the size of the development, the absence of existing scaffolding, the uneven face of the building, and the fact that St Kilda Road is a powerful wind funnel, the design and installation of a building wrap would be a logistical, technical, and physical challenge. So…

Mesh Direct to the Rescue!

… they asked us to do it! IB Projects chose to collaborate with Mesh Direct based on our reputation for excellent customer service, highly talented and knowledgeable in-house design team, and expert installation team. Our products speak for us, as does our reputation. 

We worked closely with IB Projects and the experienced team at Visual Exposure to come up with viable solutions to this challenge. The wrap itself ended up being 50 x 40 metres, and we had to prioritise the safety of installers, at the mercy of St Kilda’s famous winds, throughout the process. Together, we designed and manufactured a custom frame to install the wrap, which created a flat surface for the wrap to sit against so the graphics would display seamlessly. As for the graphics, we chose to print them across eight panels with more join points than we would normally use, so the panels were securely tensioned and able to withstand the high winds in the area. 

The graphics themselves were powerfully evocative, a gorgeous image of the finished development at an angle that inspires aspirational feelings and optimism. Passers-by looked up the beautiful building towards the sky. The message was clear – and inviting. The choice of greyscale tones kept the image feeling classic and timeless, and maintained an element of mystery around the finished product. It was a choice and design to be proud of. 

With a good plan, a solid frame, and gorgeous graphics printed across eight smaller panels, it was time to get down to business. The installation itself was highly tricky and technical. In order to line up the frame and the wrap with the building itself, we installed the building wrap via rope access, working hard to ensure the safety of the abseilers throughout. The brave souls faced wind, rain, and storms in order to get the job done! 

Adding to the technicality of the install, an additional part of the brief included neon lights, to light up the wrap from behind. We consequently had to line up the wrap with the lights as well! 

The result was a stunning achievement in visual storytelling. The sheer scale of the wrap was awe-inspiring and eye-catching, and the backlighting created a glamorous vibe throughout the late-night hours. The wrap showcased the upcoming unveiling, generating interest and excitement around the project as well as being intensely aspirational. Zaha Hadid and IB Projects gave people something to dream about and look up to while the development was underway. This is a classic example of a building wrap done right.