KWSA: A Landmark in Kinetic Engineering and Spatial Storytelling

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Kinetic Wall KWSA | TITAN Innovation Awards

Leva Engineering’s Precision-Driven Installation

At 209 square meters, KWSA is the world’s largest kinetic wall, a monumental installation engineered and fabricated by Leva Engineering for the VVIP Center at Aramco’s Riyadh facility. This site-specific project is not simply a feat of scale; it is an orchestration of precision mechanics, custom electronics, and immersive design thinking. Leva’s approach emphasizes spatial cohesion and mechanical performance without compromising aesthetic intent. Every element serves a structural and conceptual function, giving the work both physical presence and narrative depth.

The wall comprises over 20,000 individually controlled stepper motors. Each is powered by a cross-shaped PCB embedded into the chassis, ensuring a minimal and undistracted visual field. A high-helix lead screw system propels motion by converting rotational energy into linear output through a lever mechanism. Noise is suppressed using self-lubricating technopolymer components, which also eliminate the need for oil-based maintenance, a practical solution that anticipates long-term operational demands.

Tolerances across the six segmented 6x7 meter surfaces were maintained within a few tenths of a millimeter. Achieving this required a combination of advanced digital simulations, automated fabrication processes, and custom-machined jigs. Among these tools was a press capable of adhesive bonding with centesimal precision, a key element in ensuring both consistency and repeatability throughout production.

Central to the system is a proprietary 3D simulator that accepts grayscale video input to generate movement patterns. In this interface, pixel values map directly to motor displacement, allowing designers to choreograph complex kinetic sequences with spatial fluidity. A dedicated communication protocol updates the wall’s 18,000 active motors every 20 milliseconds. Real-time diagnostics are made possible through full-duplex data exchange, securing both speed and stability in execution.

Although the engineering behind KWSA is complex, its presentation remains clean and unobtrusive. The technology hides behind the surface, giving movement the spotlight. What the viewer sees is not machinery but motion itself, unencumbered and synchronized.

KWSA is a masterclass in integrating digital control with physical mechanics in architectural environments, which secured them a winning achievement in the 2025 TITAN Innovation Awards. It neither competes with nor dominates its setting. Instead, it activates space through rhythm, motion, and silent precision.