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.
The five-story, 60’s era West Hills Medical Office Building in Los Angeles was due for an exterior facelift. A complete exterior renovation by Michael W. Folonis Architects revealed that water infiltration had caused structural damage to the existing horizontal plaster awnings; removing them was a costly process that consumed much of the project budget. This […]
KieranTimberlake: Printed Tensile Cladding at Rice UniversityWe 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.
