Spark Arena (formerly Vector Arena) in Auckland, New Zealand, is a 12,000-seat entertainment and sporting arena. The curved main entrance foyer presented an opportunity to feature a dramatic, sculptural lighting system that would create a warm glow and add aesthetic value. The project architects’ design included historical and nautical elements, so the lighting system was developed as eight 13 ft x. 9.5 ft “rafts” that hold two canoe-shaped bodies together. The rafts are positioned over a translucent membrane, which is in turn tensioned over a lightweight support structure. The rafts incorporate sprinkler heads for fire safety and a sophisticated hinging mechanism to provide easy access for maintenance. Structurflex built a full-scale prototype so that various lighting configurations could be reviewed and tested by the design team before selecting the final concept. The result is an even light level throughout the structure that fades slightly toward the perimeter.
We are pleased to have collaborated with KieranTimberlake and the outfit of a parking structure on the Rice University Campus. In their blog post, they describe the concepts they employed to create an iconic sculptural element. For more details see the KieranTimberlake blog post.
The Increasing Importance of DurabilityWhile tensile fabric has several distinct advantages over more traditional materials like glass, one of the most important may be its ability to withstand severe weather events. Our tensile structures and tensile facades in Miami, Jacksonville, Houston, Fort Worth, Waco, and Atlanta did not sustain any damage or require any repair despite enduring events ranging […]
