Evolutions in the materials and design methodolo-

gies of tensioned fabric structures now give them a

place in high grade architecture produced by the
best designers and specialty contractors. Their
drama and visual appeal find frequent use a
dramatic elements in larger structures. The open
petals of this inverted tent provide a focal point for
a subureban shopping center.
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KALEIDOSCOPE SHOPPING CENTER

Designers: Altoon + Porter,
Huntington Design Associates
Builder: Fabritec, with Eide Industries
[ABOVE] Overall
[LEFT] Beneath

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 1

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 t
The simplest uses of fabric structures include
minimalty curved entry or shade structures, Well
articulated and carefully detailed supporting mem-
bers and connections distinguish these structures
from conventional awnings, while the effects of
natural and artificial light on translucent ands reflec-
tive planes of white fabric provide ever-changing
delight.
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BURNSIDE RESIDENCE
Designers: Archaeo Architects,
Huntington Design Associates
Builder: Rader Awning & Upholstering

[ABOVE, LEFT] Living Room Canopy

Archaeo Architects; used with permission
[ABOVE, RIGHT] Walkway Canopy
Photograph copyright Robert Reck; used with
permission
[RIGHT] Courtyard Canopy
Photograph copyright Robert Reck; used with
permission

PLATE 2 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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HOLLYWOOD & HIGHLAND

Designers: The Ehrenkrantz Group,
Altoon + Porter, Huntington Design
Associates
Builder: Sullivan & Brampton
[LEFT] Reflected Light
[BELOW] Escalator Canopy at Dusk
Don Douglas; used with permission

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 3

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 Other entry canopies axplore variations on the
traditional curvilinear tented form. They may be
formed by guyed struts and overlapped in asymmet-
rical fashion, or generated by steel arms that curve
to mirror the form of interlinked inverted cones.
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WHITE LOTUS RESTAURANT

Designer: Huntington Design
Associates
Builder: Eide Industries
[ABOVE] Overall
[RIGHT] Detail
Eide Industries, Inc.; used with permission

PLATE 4 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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PARKWEST MEDICAL OFFICE

BUILDING
Designer: Huntington Design
Associates
Builder: Eide Industries
[ABOVE] Overall
[LEFT] Strut End Detail
Eide Industries, Inc.; used with permission

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 5

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 The form of the Folkestone Terminal for the
English Channel Chunnel Train is exotic, with

its cable-suspended mast providing a column-

free open space below. The traditional form
of a simple train shed is adapted for the Bay-
pointe light rail station, with a break in form
provided by a vaulted crossing.

FOLKESTONE CHUNNEL TERMINAL

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Designer: Building Design Partnership

Builder: Birdair

[BELOW] Overall
[RIGHT] Interior Detail
QA Photos Ltd.; used with permission

PLATE B THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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•syAVJsiiiifliiaarAiinlJl
Designers: SBA Architects,
Huntington Design Associates
Builder: Birdair
[ABOVE] Overall
[LEFT] Interior
[BELOW] Detail

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 7

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 Just as the wings of early aircraft were formed by cloth,
the forms and spirit of tensioned fabric structures seem
particularly attuned to terminals for air travel. Each
structure, though, must adapt to its local environment.
The Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is open sided
and top vented to release the desert heat, while the
form and load design of the insulated Denver Airport
reflects its snowy and mountainous surroundings.
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HAJJ TERMINAL
Designers: Skidmore Owings &
Merrill, Geiger Berger Associates
Builder: Owens-Conning Fiberglas with
Birdair
[ABOVE] Overall
[RIGHT] Interior
Birdair, Inc.; used with permission

PLATE 8 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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DENVER AIRPORT
Designers: C.W. Fentress,
J.W. Bradburn & Associates,
Horst Berger with Severud
Associates
Builder: Birdair
[ABOVE] Overall
[LEFT] Detail
[BELOW] Interior
Photographs copyright Robert Reck

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 9

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 Hospitality applications also adapt to divergent environments.
The Jameirah Beach Hotel canopies provide ventilated shading
for the desert heat of Dubai. The high desert of Taos, New
Mexico, though, has enormous seasonal temperature variation.
The fabric roof of the interior oasis at the El Monte Resort is
designed to support winter snow loads, while operable mast-top
ventilation with electric fans and shading side panels provide
protection from the summer heat.
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JAMEIRAH BEACH HOTEL

Designers: W.S. Atkins, Huntington
Design Associates
Builder: Birdair
[RIGHT] Shade Canopy
[BELOW LEFT] Shade Canopy Detail
[BELOW RIGHT] Shade Canopy
Raul Roberts; used with permission

PLATE 10 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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EL MONTE RESORT
Designers: Dharma Properties,
Nims, Calvani & Associates,
Huntington Design Associates
Builder: Eide Industries
[ABOVE] Overall
[LEFT] Interior
Eide Industries, Inc.; used with permission

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 11

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 The inherent drama of fabric structure forms gives
them natural application in assembly or entertain-
ment venues such as amphitheaters. Peaked and
curving forms bring words to the mouths of visitors
approaching from distant streets, parking lots, or
freeways. €<There it is!11
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NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR
AMPHITHEATER
Designers: Bellagio Associates,
Huntington Design Associates
Builder: Sullivan & Brampton
[RIGHT] Interior
Don Douglas; used with permission
[BELOW] Overall
Bernard Andre; used with permission

PLATE 12 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^J
Designer: Huntington Design
Associates
Builder: Sullivan & Brampton

[ABOVE] Overall
LEFT] Detail
Don Douglas; used with permission

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 13

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 Convention and exhibition centers take advantage
of the long span capability of fabric construction!
though their forms vary widely. San Diego's water*
front canopies are frankly sail-like, while Genoa's
Grande Bigo responds to its harbor site with steel
rigging reminiscent of ship loading derricks.
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SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER

Designers: Arthur Erickson, Horst
Berger Partners
Builder: Birdair
[ABOVE LEFT] Overall
Photograph copyright Robert Reck
[ABOVE RIGHT] Interior
Photograph copyright Robert Reck
[RIGHT] Detail
Ronald Shaeffer; used with permission

PLATE 14 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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EL GRANDE BIGO
Designers: Renzo Piano, Ove Arup
Builder: Canobbio

[ABOVE] Overall
[LEFT] Detail
Canobbio S.p.A.; used with permission

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 15

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 Arched forms typically provide softer and more shelter-
ing forms than peaked tents. Suspended arch forms,
though, can have a special drama: the Munich Ice Rink
hangs the membrane delicately from a graceful steel
arch, while the downward curving cables that support
the Milano Fairgrounds roof are an inversion of the
arched form of the membrane itself.
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MUNICH ICE RINK

Designers: Ackermann & Partner,
Schlaich Bergerman & Partners
Builder: Maurer Sohne, Koit-Werk
[ABOVE] Arched Exterior
[RIGHT] Interior Cable Net
Jorg Schlaich; used with permission

PLATE 16 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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MILANO FAIRGROUNDS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^s
Designers: Massimo Majowiecki
Casalecchio di Reno
Builder: Canobbio

[ABOVE] Overall
[LEFT] From Grade

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 17

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 Domed form allows a stone or concrete shell to span
long distances in pure compression—structural
behavior that is antithetical to that of a tensioned
fabric roof. The Pontiac Silverdome duplicates dome
form through internal air pressurization that creates
the pure tension dome of the low-profile air-supported
roof, while the Millennium Dome does so by suspend*
ing the fabric from tall masts.
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PONTIAC SILVERDOME
Designers: O'Dell Hewlett &
Luckenbach, Geiger Berger
Associates
Builder: Birdair
[RIGHT] Overall
[BELOW] Interior
Birdair, Inc.; used with permission

PLATE 18 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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MILLENNIUM DOME
Designers: Richard Rogers
Partnership, Euro Happold
Builder: Birdair
[ABOVE] Overall
QA Photos; used with permission
[LEFT] Interior
FTL Happold; used with permission

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 19

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 Dome form is maintained [and a "true" dome's
compressive load-carrying behavior absent] in the
cable domes that have supplanted low-profile air-
supported roofs. The Tropicana Dome employs the
original and straightoforward Geiger cable dome
System, while the Georgia Dome employs the levy
"hyoar-tensegrity" System—at once more complex
structurally and more poetic visually.
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TROPICANA DOME
Designers: Hellmuth, Obata +
Kassabaum, Geiger Engineers
Builder: Birdair
[ABOVE] Overall
[RIGHT] Interior
Photographs copyright Robert Reck

PLATE 20 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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GEORGIA DOME
Designers: Heery Architects &
Engineers, Weidlinger Associates
Builder: Birdair
[ABOVE] Overall
[LEFT] Interior Cable Dome Structure
Photographs copyright Robert Reck

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 21

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 Stadiums in which only the seating area is covered
require different design soultions than "domes." In
King Fahd stadium, the hige oculus that opens the
playing field to the sky is restrained only by a cable
tension ring. When a greandstand is linear, though,
the free edge of the canopy requires rigid support,
such as Avery Aquatic Center's cantilevered pipe
arches.
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KING FAHD STADIUM

Designers: Ian Fraser, John Roberts
& Partners, Schlaich Bergerman
& Partners, Horst Berger
Partners
Builder: Birdair
[ABOVE] Overall
[RIGHT] Interior with Tension Ring
Birdair, Inc.; used with permission

PLATE 22 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

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AVERY AQUATIC CENTER

Designers: ELS/Elbasani & Logan
Architects, Huntington Design
Associates
Builders: Sullivan & Brampton
[LEFT] Overall
[BELOW LEFT] Interior
[ABOVE] Tensioning Rod Detail
Don Douglas; used with permission

THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF PLATE 23

The Tensioned Fabric Roof

 The steep upward sweep of a single-peaked cone
and the ethereal interior light provided by architec-
tural fabrics have natural appllication in a church.
Fabric structures find their place in the fulfillment
of man's highest aspirations.
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GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH

Designer: Gene Zellmer
Builder: Birdair
[ABOVE] Exterior
[RIGHT] Interior

PLATE 24 THE TENSIONED FABRIC ROOF

The Tensioned Fabric Roof