Application Area

Tensile Structure for Entrance

The tensile structures for entrances function as the most impressive architectural statement, a “visual handshake to which we give form, and which is an architectural characteristic of your building. These buildings can be used in either luxury hotel, company headquarters, or a shopping center; they serve as the dramatic transition between your outdoor and indoor landscapes. With high tension membranes, architects can form sweeping, sculptural shapes like pointed cantilevered points or an elegant wave that would not be possible with heavy old materials. These canopies play a key role in weather protection for incoming guests and valet services to ensure a dry and high-definition entrance.

There are engineering characteristics of entrance tensile structures that are designed to have the maximum impact and minimize footprint on the ground level. Designers will also create cantilevered structures with fewer support columns to keep the walkway and driveway free from foot traffic and vehicular interference. Selecting textural materials is very important: PTFE-coated glass fiber is usually recommended for high-end entrances because of its brilliant white finish and self-cleaning properties, while PVC membranes can also be the solution for colorful or temporarily oriented, brand-oriented applications.

Their translucency permits such fabrics to glisten at night when backlit, transforming the door into a glowing beacon to direct users towards the entrance. Apart from the functional, the tensile structures at the entrance are also quite useful. They compensate the “wind tunnel” effect typically encountered in the base of tall buildings and offer a thermal buffer that can decrease heat gain at the building’s dominant glass facade. As these structures are lightweight, they are often able to be retrofitted onto existing buildings with little or no structural reinforcement. From a streamlined, sophisticated hypar sail overlooking a boutique doorway to a gargantuan conical mast system for a luxury hotel lobby, tensile architecture makes sure that the home is perceived as an innovation, with luxury.