For Quebec’s Stade de Soccer de Montréal, an indoor sports facility, Montreal-based architecture firm Saucier + Perrotte focused on keeping the design minimal and the light natural—a simple plan that won’t interfere with play. The same can be said of their solution for a partition built to separate the playing field from fans in the bleachers and from a high-traffic corridor to the locker room. The barrier is a sturdy but unobtrusive mesh wall that filters natural light into the hallway, stops balls, and allows players entering the field to see the space and the fans ahead of them, says Trevor Davies, project architect.

The transparent divider is comprised of four sliding wire mesh doors and a guardrail, all from material frequently specified as railing infill. In this case, the 4,650 square feet of Banker Wire M12Z-17 mesh provided safety, daylighting, and a clear view of the playing field. Angling the barrier also made it feel more like safety netting than a wall. “Instead of being perpendicular to the floor, they’re tilted slightly at five degrees,” says Leslie Lok, a Saucier + Perrotte associate. Despite the softer look, the mesh is robust, thanks to individual wires, which are crimped prior to being woven on a loom. In addition to the security that comes from physically separating the field from areas around it, the fencing’s edges make it a friendly choice for the type of audience-to-player interaction which occurs at games, says Harrison Horan, Banker Wire vice president.