Usage and purpose of textile architecture

Name: Maria Murtaza Rangwala

Class: 4th Semester
Faculty: Interior Designing
Assignment given: 3/3/2023
Assignment submission: 10/3/2023
Subject: Textile Architecture
Instructor: Sir Iqbal Ahmed
Institute: Indus University (cc)

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Introduction:
The requirement to act in a sustainable way has reached all areas of
life. In the field of construction, new requirements to use natural
resources more economically are especially challenging. Textiles have
already been applied successfully, both for temporary and permanent
construction applications, mainly as membrane constructions,
geotextiles, shading and reinforcement. The use of textiles in
construction is nowadays limited to applications such as lightweight
constructions (e.g. tents and shelters), mobile and temporary
constructions, membrane structures, weather protection membranes
and façade structures. The typical use of textiles in architecture
demonstrates, especially in membrane construction, the
characteristically, mostly three-dimensional, organic forms, which
result from tensioned membranes, as well as the spacial contortion of
those membranes.
o Urban design projects:
FabriTec’s tensile structures frequently serve as a focal point in
community urban renewal projects, such as this amphitheater.
Erected in Playa Vista, Calif., the structure incorporates a flexible
lighting grid and an expansive stage which can support a wide
range of performances and events.

o Parks location:
There are many styles and shapes available to designers and
engineers of tensile fabric architecture. All of the styles and shapes
use strategically designed system of cables to create the necessary
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 tension, so the membrane is able to remain stiff and structurally
sound under all possible loads (such as wind loads and snow
loads).

o Landscape location:
Benjamin shine completes his latest sky flow sculpture ‘quietude.’ the
work is characterized by his signature tulle materiality monumentally
scaled to express mindfulness and self-reflection. silhouetted against
the sweeping sky of the Sonoran Desert, the ethereal form depicts the
details of a face, eyes closed in contemplation. the work was
commissioned by lifestyle media brand Mindbody green for their
annual ‘revitalize’ wellness summit, and has been installed at the ritz
Carlton resort in Tucson, Arizona.

o Sports facilities:
The Arena Da Amazonia is a stadium built-in 2014 in Manaus.
They developed a steel roof structure in a way to hide the

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 structure’s framework. A diagonally arranged steel roof was
designed to support the cantilevered steel box girders and
secondary steel structures. The fabric stretches over 300,000 sqft.
Over the stadium that touches the ground in delicate petal shapes.
From the inside, the framework and the complex structure are
revealed. The structural fabric is made from 252 pieces of PTFE
membrane/ glass and provides superior strength, consistency, and
longevity.

o Leisure facilities:
Centred along with the Olaya District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the
national library stands tall at about 25000 sqft – 100,000 sqft. It
stands out from the heterogeneous building patterns, making it an
iconic façade. The continuous strips of white fabrics are situated
over steel and a wire framework in a way that introduces protection
from – UV rays, curvature and depth.

o Special events:
Structural Fabric translates excellently into larger applications.
Zenith de Strasbourg, meaning biggest or large in French is a 100,
0000 square meters event space located just outside of the city of
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 Strasbourg, between the suburbs and city centre. The architect
conceived of a geometric lamp which could drive energy and form
the horizontal landscape. The massive event space uses Atex 5000
TRL by the Valmiera glass group, a flexible fabric that glides all
over its skeleton structure. The bright orange-coloured membrane
is opaque during the day and at night as the concerts get underway,
the fabric lights from inside reveal its steel framework from
beneath.

o Tourism facilities:
Berlin park Bellevue is open for amorphous architecture and has
specially designed textile construction as well as 35 umbrella
islands invited to saunter and relax.

o Catering:
Textile architecture can be observed during every wedding at the
catering side where it is used as a shelter to keep the food clean and
safe from outside pollution.

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o Pavilion:
The Pavilion and Workshops for Nature Concert Hall are created
as art object that unifies space, music and light. This project
features volumes that refer to existing elements in nature. The
pavilion was made to lightly touch its surroundings biotope
meadow. White vertical bars define transparency and closeness.

o Airport:
The curved design of the Detroit-based Rosa Parks Transit Center
created by FTL Design Engineering enables water to be collected
and stored below ground for irrigation use. Dallas-based FabriTec
Structures LLC won an IFAI Award of Excellence in 2010 for the
center.

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o Research center:
This research center, texoversum center, has the unique façade
made of carbon and glass fibers, the first of its kind to be
implemented in this way, represents the innovative power and
future viability of fiber-based materials and textile techniques.

o Green houses:
Mostly aluminet shade cloth is used in the tensile structure of any
green house to provide protection to the plants from sun and wind
and to control the temperature of the space.

o Exhibition facilities:
Combing the simple background and the Hakka cultural image that
highlight each other, aim was to create a dialogue between the
rhythm of the walking space and the music and lead the observers
to traverse leisurely and elegantly by incorporating the infusion of
minimalistic aesthetics through compartmentalization using
gauzes, and plain white semi-transparent circular spaces.

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o Circus tents:
Metal frame tensile structure is used to make circus tents which are
also transportable.

Bibliography:
o https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/know-your-architects/
a7176-10-architectural-projects-made-with-fabric/
o https://www.tensionstructures.com/exploring-the-core-concepts-
an-introduction-to-tensile-fabric-architecture/
o https://textileworldasia.com/textile-world-asia/2016/11/textile-
architecture-light-building-skins/
o https://www.designboom.com/art/benjamin-shine-quietude-sky-
flow-sculpture-08-11-19/
o https://www.mdt-tex.com/en/textile-architecture/textile-
architecture
o https://www.archdaily.com/805221/in-between-fabric-b-plus-p-
architects
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o https://eyouagro.com/blog/6-kinds-of-shade-cloth/
o https://www.designboom.com/architecture/icd-itke-university-
stuttgart-texoversum-research-center-textile-technology-fiber-
facade-07-28-2020/