A framework for designing complex media facades

•Media façades are unique displays concerning scale, shape and pixel configuration.•Design tools ranging form physical models over mixed reality models to 3D models.•Analysis of the design of a 300 m long low-resolution curvilinear media façade.

Spatial, low-resolution media facades integrated into buildings pose specific design challenges. We provide a conceptual framework for addressing how content for a media façade may be designed taking into account the specific qualities of the display of media façade interfaces: scale, shape, pixel configuration, pixel shape, and light quality. We address how these qualities of the interface may be investigated using a repertoire of design tools in different modalities ranging form physical models over mixed reality models to virtual representations. As the main case we present and discuss five design tools used in the design of the media façade of a 300 m long low-resolution curvilinear media façade part of the Danish pavilion at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai.