Press Release
Silver A' Design Award in Installation Design Goes to Kwsa Kinetic Wall by Leva Engineering
The international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Leva Engineering for installation design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ Kwsa Kinetic Wall by Leva Engineering has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Installation Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Silver A' Design Award Means
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
About Kwsa Kinetic Wall
Kwsa is a kinetic wall installation located at the Aramco Innovation Center in Riyadh. The work covers 209 square meters and is formed by six modular walls, each 6000 mm wide and 7000 mm high. Motion is produced by 20,000 stepper motors that drive a custom lead screw and lever system with a precision of 0.1 mm. Components made of self-lubricating technopolymers need no lubrication and allow front access for maintenance. Choreographed sequences are created from grayscale video, where brightness values define the degree of movement.
Award Record
Leva Engineering is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Interactive, Experiential and Immersive Design Installations Award
The A' Installation Design Award is an international installation design competition recognizing good installation designs by best installation designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to installation designers, experiential design studios, interactive design agencies and immersive technology experts from all countries. Typical entries include sculptural installations, light installations, sound installations, digital installations, kinetic installations and site-specific installations. The awarded interactive installation designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/installation
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/172468
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/172468
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!172468
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/368215
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/4l9iUlG
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Kwsa Kinetic Wall
- Function
- Kinetic Wall
- Category
- Installation Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Arts and Branding & Advertising
- Colors
- Black, Dark Slate Gray and Dark Slate Blue
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Leva Engineering
- Country
- Italy
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #172468
Credits
- Team
- Matteo Mosca, Gabriele Gambotto, Nesma, Dar Al-Handasah, Tamschick Media+Space and Creative Technology
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Kwsa is a 209 square meter kinetic installation located at the Aramco Innovation Center in Riyadh. It is the largest kinetic wall ever built. The system enables fluid, choreographed movement powered by discreet technology. Engineered for long-term reliability and aesthetic simplicity, the wall integrates seamlessly into its environment and contributes to the spatial narrative without drawing attention to its underlying mechanism.
- Inspiration
- The design was inspired by the need to create a dynamic architectural feature that integrates naturally with other interactive installations. The objective was to automate motion with high precision while keeping all technology hidden. Every technical decision—from motion control to structural layout—was aimed at achieving visual clarity, acoustic silence, and seamless synchronization within the larger experience.
- Research
- This applied research aimed to develop a precise and low-maintenance kinetic system for architectural use. The team used CAD simulations, structural analysis, CNC machining, and real-time testing to refine the mechanism. The outcome included a self-lubricating motion system and a control protocol managing 20,000 motors. The result supports scalable, synchronized motion for integration in complex multimedia environments.
- Challenge
- A key challenge was ensuring sub-millimeter precision across six modular walls while maintaining silent, front-accessible operation. Custom electronics, motion systems, and mounting structures had to be developed under tight deadlines and Oil & Gas safety standards. Additional complexity came from the need to coordinate with other installations in the space, requiring both mechanical and digital integration from early design stages.
- Realization and Technology
- The installation features a custom lever-based motion system powered by high-helix lead screws and 20,000 stepper motors. Motion is controlled by cross-shaped PCBs integrated in the chassis. Components are made of self-lubricating technopolymers. Production involved advanced CAD simulation, CNC machining, precision adhesive bonding tools, and an automated QA pipeline for centesimal repeatability.
- Operation and Interaction
- The wall performs choreographed movements that follow pre-programmed sequences, timed with other media in the space. Designers create these sequences using grayscale video inputs, where brightness values determine the degree of motion. A custom 3D simulation tool allows teams to preview and adjust movement in real time, helping to translate visual ideas into physical motion with clarity and control.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project lasted a total of approximately 12 months: 5 months of prototyping, engineering and testing, 2 months on-site setup, 1 month of tuning. Deployment in 2024.
- Specifications
- Total surface: 209 square meters. Configuration: 6 modular walls, each W 6000 mm x H 7000 mm. Actuation system: 20,000 stepper motors, custom lead screw and lever mechanism. Precision: 0.1 mm. Motor update rate: every 20 ms via custom full-duplex protocol. Control boards: cross-shaped PCBs embedded in chassis. Maintenance: front access, no lubrication required.
- Keywords
- Kinetic wall, Mechatronic installation, Interactive architecture, Smart facade, Precision engineering, Hidden technology, Architectural motion, Media art
