To fit the scale of the room, Cambridge Architectural wove together two 11 1⁄2-foot-high curtain panels, one measuring around 46 feet and the other 25 1⁄2. (The mesh is hung sideways so it can pivot at the rods, to allow the curtains to collapse and fold.) The result is a dynamic alternative to solid partitions. The mesh in Cambridge’s Mid Balance pattern has a 50 percent open area, providing more transparency than some of the more tightly woven meshes do. “This curtain retains the open-design intent,” says Dave Zeitlin, a spokesman for the manufacturer.

For the gallery's high-volume traffic, architects needed something durable that wouldn’t noticeably show wear over time. The curtains also serve a protective function when closing off valuable art, so engineers at Cambridge designed a system to hook them to floor and ceiling tracks that can be locked in place when the partition is extended to seal off the room.