Opportunities with the Use of

Textiles in Architecture
Prof S Kathirvelu
Prl/AIFD

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• Opportunities with the use of textiles in architecture
constitute this project’s research motivation from
practice. These include the creation of new kinds of
forms, regulation of daylight and sound, energy
efficiency as well as lightness and mobility. Each
opportunity is in this section presented through
examples from practice.

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 Textile expert Marie O’Mahony states
• : “Textiles are forming part of the solution to
making our buildings better places to live in the
present and for future generations”

• The opportunities presented in this section show

how textiles are part of this solution, detailing how
textiles are used in built projects and making the
case for why architects should use more textiles.

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1.1.1. Creation of New Kinds of Forms
• A first opportunity with the use of textiles is the
creation of new kinds of forms, because of the
single and double curved surfaces that can be
made with them. This is explored in membrane
architecture, where curved surfaces are made by
tensioning flat fabric, based on principles of
minimal surfaces . Here, different kinds of textiles
replace or supplement glass or other materials

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München Stadion by Frei Otto, seen from inside
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München Stadium seen from outside. 6
Maison Follies Wazemmes in Lille (2004), France, by architect Lars Spuybroek of NOX 7
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View during daytime
Zénith Concert Hall in Strasbourg, France (opened in 2008). Left: View from outside9
Lobby of concert hall. 10
• It should also be mentioned that in
addition to the architectural argument of
new kinds of forms, an argument for
choosing membrane constructions is
economic, at least in large structures.

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 1.1.2. Regulation of Daylight
• A second opportunity with the use of textiles in
architecture is their ability to regulate daylight.
Textiles diffuse light and reduce glare. With the
widespread use of glass in architecture, and the
focus on optimizing sunlight and heating to
reduce the need for artificial light and cooling,
this opportunity is particularly relevant.
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• A translucent mesh fabric in PVC coated
polyester is used. The mesh does not replace
glass, but instead works with it, as it provides
protection from sunlight and heating and
prevents glare.

• It lets daylight in, and from inside, despite the

blue appearance of the fabric from outside, it is
possible to look out.
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DR Concert House Copenhegan by Jean Nouvel 14
• This opportunity has for a long time, and is
still today, utilized in curtains and canopies. In
this, another benefit of textiles, namely their
lightness, makes it possible to create movable
elements. This has been explored by Danish
architect Dorte Mandrup in a summerhouse in
Denmark where vertical sliding panels of
synthetic textiles provide shading.

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View of the house from outside 16
View of the terraces from the inside of the house
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 1.1.3. Regulation of Sound
• A third opportunity with the use of textiles in
architecture is their ability to regulate sound. Textiles
can regulate sound, both thanks to the textiles
themselves, but also to how they are formed .
• This opportunity has been explored in a kindergarten in
Copenhagen, where textiles are used for acoustic
regulation in ceiling panels and on an interior staircase
and balcony

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Kindergarten in Næstvædgade in Copenhagen, where textiles are used both in acoustic
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ceiling panels and in the architecture of the room.
• Another example where this opportunity has
been explored are the acoustic panels called
Soft Cells developed by fabric manufacturer
Kvadrat. The panels consist of a patented
frame system (which can be of different
shapes) on which two layers of fabrics are
tensioned . A range of fabrics can be used as
outer layer.

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• Soft Cells by Kvadrat. Left: Cross section of panel showing the outer (in this case purple)
layer of fabric, and the inner (white) fabric, and how each of these are tensioned on the
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frame.
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In the German National Library, triangular Soft Cells are used.
 1.1.4. Energy Efficiency
• A fourth opportunity with the use of textiles in
architecture is their ability to contribute to energy
efficiency. Hertzsch & Lau compared the energy-
efficiency of different textile membranes with
those of glass, and concluded that textile
membranes offer benefits to energy-efficient
building envelopes.

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• The Bangkok International Airport . Its partly
textile building envelope consists of three layers.
The outer layer is fibreglass coated with PTFE
which is waterproof and has a solar reflection of
70%. The inner layer of fluorpolymer-coated,
metallised glass fabric is translucent, and
together with the middle layer, it acts as a baffle.
The coating gives the inner layer a low emissivity,
mirroring the low temperature of the marble
floor.
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Suvarnabhumi International Airport Bangkok One of the terminal buildings seen from26the
inside.
The building envelope is partly made of glass and steel, partly of the three layer membrane
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system. Airport seen from the outside
• A passive house with a knitted synthetic
textile, traditionally used for horticulture, as
the outer layer of the building envelope.

• Window and how the black textile is attached

around the window.

• Detail of two pieces of textiles attached with a

button system

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 1.1.5. Lightness and Mobility
• A last opportunity with the use of textiles in
architecture, which needs to be mentioned is
their lightness and mobility. Woven polyamide rip
stop fabric as partitions in an old flying hangar
turned into office space in Copenhagen utilizing
the fabric’s mobility to create flexible space
partitions.

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The three floors with offices are placed at a distance from the facades,
and are surrounded by large curtains that create room in rooms. Right:
On the top floor, spaces for rest have been created.
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• A house called Soft House, by Kennedy &
Violich Architecture, moveable, curtains are
used to partition space. LEDs (Light Emitting
Dioedes) are integrated in the curtains, which
are powered by photovoltaic cells on the
outside.

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View of room with partition curtains in which LEDs are integrated
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Four ways in which the curtain, attached on an overhead rack, can be used to accommodate
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different needs
• Over the last century, textiles have moved
from handicraft to industrially produced,
engineered products. The opportunities
presented here are results of this
development, which has affected the
properties of textiles, as they are becoming
suitable for more permanent use in
architecture.

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 Textiles can be made with raw materials from any of the five
material classes. An example of a textile is given for each of the
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five material classes.
 The Energy Curtain
• Left: During the day, the curtain harvests energy from
the solar cells placed on the side of the curtain facing
the outside.
• Right: At night, the curtain becomes a light source
thanks to optical fibres woven into the curtain and LEDs
(light emitting diodes) that emit light that is then
transported and emitted through the optical fibres. The
curtain only lights up when the amount of daylight
outside is too low.
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1. Replaceable (Can be replaced)
2. Flexible (Can be shaped after the surroundings)
3. Elastic (Can be stretched)
4. Changeable (Changes over time – can be left
traces in)
5. Interactive (See intelligent textiles)
6. Soft (Tactile property – can hang, not stand)
7. Sound reducing
8. Water-absorbing/Water-repelling
9. Antibacterial
10.Insulating (Warmth/Cold/Electricity)
11. Colourful
12. Transparent/Translucent
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Thank You

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