Tensile architecture is a relatively new field of architecture devoted to lightweight membrane structures. Composed primarily of fabric tent-like structures, this form of architecture is well suited for sheltering large areas, such as stadiums, arenas, outdoor shelters, and airport terminals. Since the 1960s, tensile structures have been championed by designers and engineers such as Frei Otto, the duo of Nicholas Goldsmith & Todd Dalland at FTL Design & Engineering Studio, Horst Berger, and David Geiger. The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis, Athens, Greece Architecture (from Latin, architectura and ultimately from Greek, αρχιτεκτων, a master builder, from αρχι- chief, leader and τεκτων, builder, carpenter) is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. ... A tent is a shelter, consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles. ... Look up Structure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Athens Olympic Stadium A modern stadium (plural stadiums, Latin plural stadia) is a place, or venue, for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts or other events, consisting of a field or stage partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event. ... An arena is a circular or oval shaped (or sometimes rectangular) public space (akin to a classical amphitheatre), designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... Tension is a reaction force applied by a stretched string (rope or a similar object) on the objects which stretch it. ... Usually considered in the context of the applied arts, engineering, architecture, and other such creative endeavours, design is used as both a noun and a verb. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Frei Otto (May 31, 1925) is a German architect and research engineer. ... Horst Berger (1928-) is a structural engineer and designer known for his work with lightweight tensile architecture. ...

Notable Projects

Denver International Airport terminal

• Columbus Center, Baltimore, Maryland
• Denver International Airport, Denver Colorado
• Pier6 Music Pavilion, Baltimore, Maryland
• Carlos Moseley Music Pavilion, New York, NY
• Finnish Chancery, Washington, DC
• National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, DC

Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 416 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 416 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A view of the Baltimore skyline from above. ... KDEN FAA Airport Diagram Denver International Airport (DIA) (IATA: DEN, ICAO: KDEN) is a major international airport located in northeastern Denver, Colorado. ... A view of the Baltimore skyline from above. ... New York, New York redirects here. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

See also

• Tensegrity
• minimal surfaces
• Tensile structure

In mechanics and biomechanics, tensegrity or tensional integrity is a property of objects with components that use tension and compression in a combination that yields strength and resilience beyond the sum of their components. ... Verrill Minimal Surface In mathematics, a minimal surface is a surface with a mean curvature of zero. ... The Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Kings Domain, Melbourne A tensile structure is a building that is made from materials under tension — This could be a Cable net supporting a fabric or sheet material, or it could be made entirely from fabric. ...

Further reading

• Horst Berger, Light structures, structures of light: The art and engineering of tensile architecture (Birkhäuser Verlag, 1996) ISBN 376435352
• Alan Holgate, The Art of Structural Engineering: The Work of Jorg Schlaich and his Team (Books Britain, 1996) ISBN 3930698676

Horst Berger (1928-) is a structural engineer and designer known for his work with lightweight tensile architecture. ...

External links

• TensiNet, the Communication Network for Tensile Structures in Europe
• Institute for Lightweight Structures, Stuttgart, Germany
• International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures
• Working Group for Textile Architecture
• architecture, tent roofs, and minimal surfaces
• tensile sculpture, free-form tensile artwork, shade canopies
• A company specialising in fabric architecture, contains pictures and artwork relating to tensile architecture.