Tensile structure

This design is an unconventional manifesto for sea-viewing platforms. Why are the conventional sea-viewing platforms filled with numerous fencings and railings blocking the scenery and limiting the possibility of activities? Shenzhen, where the project is located, is a typical city of high-density development in contemporary China. In the past 40 years, it has transformed from a traditional small fishing village into an international city, with the sea-viewing platform located on the last natural coast of Shenzhen, Xichong.   The territory waters of Xichong are famous for the fishery and tourism industries. In an incidental opportunity, fishermen shared with us the local technique of "Gongyu," a method to decrease the energy consumpt... More

WEsearch lab recently built the Wormhole installation in CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India to explore a labour intensive low-cost workflow of assembling laser cut pieces of a free-form surface in developing South-east Asian countries, and to explore how the digital process of design and rationalisation preceding the construction responds to such a workflow. The installation is literally a wormhole shaped faceted skin circumscribed in a 2m x 2m x 2m cube. It is built within a budget of 200 USD with 792 custom pieces (triangles with flaps) of 300 gsm paper pulp sheets which are joined by 10mm wide staples and supported by a 15mm x 15mm x 1mm MS hollow section running along the periphery.   Developing South-east Asian countries typicall... More

In today’s fast-paced life full of stress and never-ending work pressure, the value of recreation is ever increasing. Travel and leisure trips form a major part in this realm of recreation. While talking about tourism in India, it is concluded that it is not only the pristine beauty of the country that attracts tourists but also the varying seasons all throughout the nation and the mere vibrancy of the culture. It is hence a prerogative to develop facilities that leave the best picture of the hospitality and rich heritage of India and also provide the utmost level of relaxation and tranquillity. The Wow Hotel in Indore by Designers Group, drawing its inspiration from quintessentially Indian elements, is a perfect example of a leisure... More

As in times of flood, when a river overflows its banks, inundating what was once land, the project floods, with a thin layer of water, the whole land of Brazil in Dubai. A uniform, dark topography, made of black pigmented, sanded, non-slip concrete, derives its poetic motif from the Rio Negro in the Amazon basin. On this canvas are depicted meanders, beaches and backwaters, creating a grand plaza of water.    It is shielded by a tensile structure 48 meters wide and 18.5 meters tall; four vertical panels making up a covering, an impluvium, secured by cables anchored to the water mirror. During the day, this structure shades and protects the waters; at dusk it makes of the pavilion a luminous, floating cube. Immersed in projection... More

Fascinated by the idea of creating living spaces up in the air, elevated from the ground with a minimal footprint, “Stilt Studios” was born in 2019. Founded by Bali based architect Alexis Dornier and business partner Florian Holm, Stilt Studios designs innovative prefab structures, with the highest standard of architectural design. Stilt Studios vision is to create better living experiences in harmony with nature and Treehouse is the next step towards it.    After a successful launch of their first two units Treehouse A and Treehouse B at Canggu Garden by Stilt Studios the aim was to create another unit, which could become a long-term living base. Inspired by Treehouse A, Stilt Studios developed a larger-scale versio... More

Weaving and stitching The Jiangyin Greenway belongs to a growing movement in China towards healthy, sustainable transportation and urban enjoyment. Infrastructure of this scale has an opportunity, or more correctly a responsibility, to create meaningful places in the city. It is also seen as an opportunity for Jiangyin to assert itself as a creative, progressive and livable city.   Consequently, it will consist of four clearly identifiable segments, each with a unique response to the spirit of the place in which it is located. The north segment of the loop has already been built and passes through the docklands parks. It responds to the history of shipbuilding and its port function. This project, the eastern segment of the loop, le... More

The old villa on MG Road, Bangalore which is recognized as the heart of the city, was entrusted to us to adorn a facelift. A.J Architects A.J Architects The project centered on the client's requirement to modernize the entire structure to characterize itself as a contemporary building. This gave the design team an opportunity to remodel the space and aesthetics with bold vibrant and enthusiastic skyline statement, which also reflects to an everchanging contemporary surrounding and the Socio, cultural and economic aspirations of the client. A.J Architects A.J Architects The growing needs of the family invoked the design team to relocate an extended kitchen on the South East corner of the property. The extension was plan... More

The Gadagne museum in Lyon is equipped by Mermet Once  again,  Mermet,  the  manufacturer  of  glass  yarn  based  fabrics  for  solar protection  (located  in Veyrins Isère), is able to demonstrate its technical capabilities at a prestigious project site: the  Gadagne  museum  in  the  city  of  Lyon.The building complex situated at the heart of "Old Lyon", an area designated as a World Heritage Site, includes the Lyon History Museum and the Puppets of the World Museum.   A magnificent Renaissance building,  itself  classified  as  a  Historic  Monument  in  1920.   Mermet... More

gmp has completed the conversion of the sports venue in Chorzów, PolandIn the cultural and recreational park in Chorzów, Poland, the architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp) have converted the Śląski stadium. Yesterday it has been officially inaugurated by a friendly match: On Tuesday, March 27, the Polish national squad played against Southkorea’s national team. With the completion of the venue the Silesian province has been given a new sports venue for track and field competitions to international standard. The elegant structure complements the historic building from 1956. With a total area of 43,000 square meters, the lightweight stadium roof is currently the largest European roof with a translucent polycarbonate skin.The Śląski st... More

Situated in the eastern CBD of Longgang, Shenzhen, Shimao Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Center enjoys the unique urban landscape resources, with its exhibition cen-ter constructed earlier looking towards Longgang Universiade Green Park, its east side facing the future super-high-rise main tower (it might become China's landmark building), its north side close to the central green space, and its west side echoing with the land-scape mountains. The exhibition center will take into account the functions of planning dis-play, commercial marketing, art exhibition, cultural activities, etc., and inject new vitality into the urban area.   It will become the first business card of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Interna-tional Center to the public. The archi... More

Located at the intersection of Scottsdale and McDowell Road, ASU Scottsdale Center for New Technology and Innovation is a mixed-use project consisting of 1.2 million square feet of office, research and retail space, and a hotel & conference center at full build-out. Anchored by the iconic ‘SkySong’ shade structure, it is built around a densely landscaped grand boulevard lined by ground-floor shops and restaurants with offices above. SkySong serves the needs of businesses, research and technology industry and academia while building vital networks between university innovations, regional progress and the global technology industry. The Development and Design team consisted of Higgins Development, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners with DMJM a... More

This restaurant is located next to the soccer field of the EsporteClubePinheiros, a sport club with in 170 thousand square meters in the southwest region of São Paulo, Brazil. The proposal consolidated and expanded an old structure with locker rooms and a new restaurant close to the grandstand by the football field.The restaurant has two floors with a lightweight canopy, where a tensile membrane for solar protection is supported by wooden structure, metal parts and steel cables. The construction spans along the longitudinal format of the grandstand, and the solution of a flexible cover allowed its positioning among the existing trees, avoiding their removal.The use of tensile structures in some of our projects is the result of a research ba... More

It’s true: children need serious architecture too. But the reverse is also true: adults need playtime too.The aim was to cover this playgarden both against rain and sun. But a sand playground does not function when the sand is too dry, as the sand gets fluid. To make a sand castle, one needs sand and moisture. And what about too much shadow on the sand? Certainly, in spring and autumn it can be nice to play in warm sand. In summer time it’s dangerous to play in full sunlight because of UV.Nomad Concept created an interesting shade sail, with 2 large loops in the tops. Those loops have many advantages:-         extraction of heat. The heat does not remain trapped in the tops of the tensile structu... More

Nomad Concept is a design office that specialises in architectural sails and shade technology and has meanwhile developed into the benchmark for tensile structures and architectural sails. Both at home and abroad, Nomad Concept built up a solid reputation with its ultralight, translucent sails, inspired by Tibetan nomadic tents. Here we give some examples of sails covering public spaces in parks or squares. In al those examples, the covered space can be used by the public for barbeques, festivities, weddings or simply gatherings of the youth. Is there anything more beautiful than a free covered place in a nice park that people can reserve for their wedding? Is there anything more nice than a free place you can reserve for your family p... More