July 1, 2025
A most unlikely location of placemaking can be found spanning a busy transit corridor in Redmond, Wash., with 20 lanes of freeway and two tracks of light rail speeding beneath a bridge. The Redmond Technology Station Bridge, designed by Silman’s Lightweight Structures Group of TYLin (formerly FTL), stretches 1,100 feet, connecting two Microsoft campuses. “Microsoft and …
July 1, 2025
From reimagined performance spaces and circus tents to portable solar panels and giant inflatables for outdoor concerts, these fabric structure case studies go beyond the sideshows to take center stage. Coldplay’s world tour, Pvilion At Pvilion, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., the company integrates solar cells with outdoor fabric and builds shelters that generate electricity. “Today, …
July 1, 2025
Hoover Architectural Products, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., took poolside shade to a new level—literally over and above—to protect the swim team at Pine Crest School in Boca Raton. The 8,846-square-foot shade structure, fabricated in two parts, comprises 288 yards of fabric and shades an eight-lane pool, keeping the swimmers 12–15 degrees cooler and out of sunburn …
July 1, 2025
HKS Architects contacted the Retractable Structures division of Eide Industries, Inc., to build a motorized fabric canopy system to complement and expand the outdoor dining area for the Lemon Grove Restaurant in Hollywood, Calif. Located on the rooftop of The Aster, a private members club and boutique hotel, the Lemon Grove is open to the …
July 1, 2025
The 2024 International Building Code has a major revision that impacts temporary structures. It allows them to remain in place for up to 365 days. Any building or structure that is erected for one year or less that serves as an Assembly occupancy or other public use will be classified as a Public-Occupancy Temporary Structure …
July 1, 2025
People want to be outdoors when they eat, drink or celebrate, and shade structure companies are seeing more demand for shade in multiuse spaces and outdoor entertainment areas. Every shade project presents a unique set of challenges—climate conditions, site constraints, material choices and client needs all influence the outcome. In this special supplement, we talk …
June 30, 2025
Herculite® Products Inc., a high-performance and custom fabrics manufacturer, announced the promotion of Mike Stephenson as the new director of manufacturing. Stephenson joined Herculite in 2010 and has worked within manufacturing for the past 15 years. In his most recent role as production manager at Herculite, he has played a key role in enhancing efficiency …
June 2, 2025
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal District granted the Donald Trump administration’s request to put a temporary hold on the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade’s judgment May 29. The Court of International Trade Law’s May 28 judgement ruled in favor of six American-based companies, ruling that President Trump overstepped his authority …
June 1, 2025
For anyone addicted to the excitement of tennis tournaments, the greatest attractions are the four Grand Slam tournaments held throughout the year. The earliest of these is the Australian Open, held in January. The 2023 Open in Melbourne had a bonus for those lucky enough to attend in person: a portable fabric canopy that held …
June 1, 2025
Each summer at Sobeys Stadium, Toronto, Canada, Tennis Canada hosts the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (formerly Rogers Cup)—a tournament that hosts the world’s best tennis players from the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) tours. And for at least the past 20 years, the team at Element Event Solutions …
November 1, 2022
Along-awaited waterfront ferry terminal is up and running on Seaplane Lagoon, Alameda, Calif. Against a backdrop of the decommissioned USS Hornet aircraft carrier and the Alameda Naval Air Museum, the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal provides regular weekday commuter services from Alameda, Oakland and other areas east and across the Bay from San Francisco. While helping …
October 1, 2022
Shigeru Ban’s corporate campus in Biel/Bienne for the Swiss watch company Swatch Omega Group is a study in contrast. Expanding on a motif the international architect first developed for the Centre Pompidou-Metz, France, Ban created a massive load-bearing timber diagrid shell that encloses and forms the main building. As with the Metz project, the Swatch …
September 1, 2022
Overland Park, Kan., is the second largest city in its state, as well as within the Kansas City metro area. The city’s website claims it is “America’s largest inhabited park,” and it feels like it if you stand in any open field and look northeast toward downtown Kansas City where the green-glass iconic towers of …
August 1, 2022
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indigenous community in Scottsdale, Ariz., has a dedicated space that is surrounded by a high-end commercial plaza on its land. Located at the crossroads of two major roads, the shopping complex is composed of numerous brick-faced masses that have tribal art affixed to the curved walls. One corner of the complex …
July 1, 2022
Vicinity Centres at Chadstone, located in Melbourne, Australia, is considered by some as the Fashion Capital of Down Under. Chadstone’s high-end fashion shopping precinct includes retail, commercial and leisure zones and recently was grafted to a new five-star hotel, the Hotel Chadstone Melbourne MGallery by Sofitel, via a fabric tensile canopy dubbed “The Link.” “The …
June 1, 2022
Fans of the San Diego Symphony have been singing praises for the new outdoor performance venue featuring The Rady Shell, inaugurated August 6, 2021, with a full-orchestra concert and a packed audience. As any musician will tell you, acoustics at outdoor performances are often a disappointing aural experience due to wind, intrusive noises and other …
May 1, 2022
More than ever before, architects are being called upon to dramatically improve the performance of their buildings, and fabric can help with this mandate. The key to implementing this is to reduce the embodied carbon in buildings. It’s a given that 40 percent of global resources goes to the built environment, so our construction industry …
January 1, 2022
With commissioned work coming to a halt last year because of the pandemic, artist Liam Hopkins set out to design his own project—a venue that would inspire and evolve. The result is Lazerian Space, a combination art gallery and cafe on King Street in Manchester, England. Inside the space, guests lounge and nosh within one …
December 1, 2021
While the Grand Palais, Paris’ historic exhibition hall and museum complex, is closed for a multi-year restoration project, a membrane-wrapped temporary venue installed on the Champ de Mars in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is taking its place. Designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte of Wilmotte & Associates, the temporary structure dubbed “Grand Palais Ephémère” …
October 1, 2021
In the autumn of 2020, while Michigan was experiencing a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, the governor and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services put in place a three-week ban on indoor dining in restaurants. To keep their doors open, many Detroit restaurants turned to tents, heaters and other ways to extend their …
May 1, 2025
Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA) is excited to announce that registration is now open for Advanced Textiles Expo® 2025, taking place November 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. As the industry’s leading trade show for specialty fabrics, advanced textiles, and shade and weather protection, the Expo draws thousands of professionals for three days …
March 11, 2025
We are pleased to announce that Site & Stay has been selected as the official housing partner for Advanced Textiles Expo® 2025, taking place Nov. 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. Hotel booking is now open, offering attendees and exhibitors exclusive access to discounted rates at our official host hotels—all conveniently located …
February 1, 2025
Advanced Textiles Association invites industry leaders, innovators and experts to present at Advanced Textiles Expo® 2025 and Emerging Technologies Conference (ETC). Advanced Textiles Expo and the ETC allow textile industry participants to showcase their knowledge and innovations, inspire other industry professionals, and engage with peers and thought leaders in a dynamic, collaborative environment. Presentation applications …
October 17, 2024
Advanced Textiles Expo® 2024, the largest event of Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA), concluded with resounding success Sept. 24–26 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Once again held in conjunction with Sun Shading Expo North America—organized by Messe Stuttgart, founders of R + T and the world’s largest trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun shading …
August 14, 2024
The Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA) has renegotiated its General Services Contractor contract for the 2025–2027 Advanced Textiles Expo® shows. By selecting Freeman through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, we have secured rates that significantly lower the cost burden on our exhibitors. RFP process Key achievements This successful negotiation translates directly to cost savings for …
December 20, 2021
The Industrial Fabrics Association International is now accepting proposals for presentations at IFAI Expo 2022. IFAI Expo will take place Oct. 12-14, 2022, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., with education Oct. 11-14. IFAI is accepting proposals for 50-minute classroom sessions in several categories: Advanced Textiles Shade & Weather Protection Specialty Fabrics Marine …
July 6, 2021
Messe Stuttgart announced that its new U.S.-based show Sun Shading Expo North America will not be held in 2021 as a separate trade show but will instead contribute its expertise in internal and external sun shading systems at IFAI Expo 2021 in the form of expert talks, open discussions and more. IFAI Expo 2021 will still take place …
May 10, 2021
Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021. IFAI Expo celebrates the 100th anniversary of the show this November, and you won’t want to miss it! After a long hiatus of in-person events, this year’s show is the perfect place to reconnect with your industry. Register now to get the Early Bird rate! Early Bird rates end …
December 1, 2020
With today’s digital printing options, there’s no reason for an awning client to be limited to colors and patterns in a book or traditional customization methods, according to Andrew Medley, regional sales manager for Trivantage. “Digital printing offers unlimited capabilities, and it is a solution to providing the customer exactly what they want—personalized messaging, the …
December 1, 2020
During IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, Jeff Sponseller, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Miller Weldmaster, led a campfire session titled “How to Select the Correct Welding Technology for Your Business.” “Essentially a good weld means that the fabric will tear before the weld does,” says Sponseller. Many types of different materials can be …
July 1, 2025
A most unlikely location of placemaking can be found spanning a busy transit corridor in Redmond, Wash., with 20 lanes of freeway and two tracks of light rail speeding beneath a bridge. The Redmond Technology Station Bridge, designed by Silman’s Lightweight Structures Group of TYLin (formerly FTL), stretches 1,100 feet, connecting two Microsoft campuses. “Microsoft and …
July 1, 2025
From reimagined performance spaces and circus tents to portable solar panels and giant inflatables for outdoor concerts, these fabric structure case studies go beyond the sideshows to take center stage. Coldplay’s world tour, Pvilion At Pvilion, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., the company integrates solar cells with outdoor fabric and builds shelters that generate electricity. “Today, …
July 1, 2025
Hoover Architectural Products, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., took poolside shade to a new level—literally over and above—to protect the swim team at Pine Crest School in Boca Raton. The 8,846-square-foot shade structure, fabricated in two parts, comprises 288 yards of fabric and shades an eight-lane pool, keeping the swimmers 12–15 degrees cooler and out of sunburn …
June 1, 2025
For anyone addicted to the excitement of tennis tournaments, the greatest attractions are the four Grand Slam tournaments held throughout the year. The earliest of these is the Australian Open, held in January. The 2023 Open in Melbourne had a bonus for those lucky enough to attend in person: a portable fabric canopy that held …
June 1, 2025
Each summer at Sobeys Stadium, Toronto, Canada, Tennis Canada hosts the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (formerly Rogers Cup)—a tournament that hosts the world’s best tennis players from the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) tours. And for at least the past 20 years, the team at Element Event Solutions …
June 1, 2025
As the recruiting manager for Made in the Shade Tent Rentals, I embody the first hurdle on the road to employment. If 100 people apply for one job, close to a quarter will make it to the first interview with me over the phone. Of that quarter, fewer than half will make it to an …
May 1, 2025
Most architects are familiar with urbanist William H. Whyte and his studies of vibrant urban places, especially small public places such as pocket parks and plazas, streets and hardscapes. After close observations of scores of public places, Whyte listed a number of key factors that pertain to successful popular usage of these spaces, including sitting …
May 1, 2025
A projected 28 million visitors to the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan, will marvel at dozens of fabric architecture pavilions and shade structures as they learn about cutting-edge technology and imagine a potentially more sustainable future. The event opens April 13 and continues through Oct. 13. This year’s theme is “Designing Future Society of Our …
May 1, 2025
Solar-structure manufacturer Pvilion, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is partnering with fabric ag building manufacturer Accu-Steel Inc., headquartered in Templeton, Iowa, to test an “agrivoltaic” structure for farmers. With the addition of walls, it could serve as an off-grid shop or livestock shelter or have other uses. The 12,000-square-foot structure integrates 42 kW of solar power and …
April 1, 2025
A New Zealand seafood restaurant in need of a refresh to its outdoor patio turned to Kolorful Kanvas Ltd., of Christchurch. The project replaced the restaurant’s metal awning with a retractable fabric solution and outfitted the outdoor dining area with new screens and signage, making it look more like a part of the structure than an …
June 2, 2025
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal District granted the Donald Trump administration’s request to put a temporary hold on the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade’s judgment May 29. The Court of International Trade Law’s May 28 judgement ruled in favor of six American-based companies, ruling that President Trump overstepped his authority …
February 27, 2025
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) opened its invitations last week for public comments on foreign trade practices and the Section 301 sanctions on China. The deadline to submit comments on foreign trade practices is March 11. The deadline to submit comments on Section 301 sanctions is March 24. USTR will hold …
February 12, 2025
Herculite Products Inc. announced the establishment of the Herculite Charitable Foundation Fund, a corporate charitable foundation dedicated to addressing critical social challenges and making a meaningful difference in the communities it serves. Herculite said in a press release that this initiative represents the company’s ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility and its mission to foster …
September 17, 2024
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the regulation of them continue to be one of the top issues facing the textiles industry. Although federal reporting rules have been delayed until next year, there are still a number of state and federal regulations to manage. To help companies in the industry navigate those challenges, Advanced Textiles …
May 1, 2023
Former Industrial Fabrics Association International (now ATA) Chairman Kevin Yonce passed away peacefully in the comfort of his home on April 29, 2023. Yonce was born January 24, 1970, in Urbana, Ill. He was a lifelong resident of Champaign-Urbana and a 1988 graduate of Urbana High School. Yonce is survived by his mother, Wanda, brother …
April 18, 2023
The “20th Anniversary Celebration of Membrane Structure Innovation and Development and the 11th National Membrane Structure Technology Exchange Conference” hosted by the Spatial Structure Sub-association of China Steel Construction Association and undertaken by Beijing University of Technology was successfully held this spring in Beijing, China. Nearly 400 delegates from all over the country participated. A …
June 22, 2022
The U.S. Department of Labor will provide a funding opportunity for $11.7 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants to support the delivery of training and education to help workers and employers identify and prevent workplace safety and health hazards. Administered by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the grants will target disadvantaged, underserved, low-income, and other hard-to-reach, …
January 10, 2022
Oeko-Tex Association has released its annual updates to test criteria, limit values and requirements. In addition, its new Impact Calculator is now available for STeP by Oeko-Tex customers. The industry-specific tool will provide carbon and water footprint data essential to meeting climate goals. Later in 2022, Oeko-Tex will also introduce a new certification for corporate …
December 21, 2021
Industry veteran Steve Fredrickson is joining Rainier Industries as the National Sales Director for Rainier Shade. Frederickson has more than 25 years of experience in the textile industry, with several different companies. Most recently, he was sales director at Sattler Corp. “I started working with Rainier Industries in 1997; loved my time here and am …
December 20, 2021
The Industrial Fabrics Association International is now accepting proposals for presentations at IFAI Expo 2022. IFAI Expo will take place Oct. 12-14, 2022, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., with education Oct. 11-14. IFAI is accepting proposals for 50-minute classroom sessions in several categories: Advanced Textiles Shade & Weather Protection Specialty Fabrics Marine …
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