Protective fabric mesh surrounds a landmark tower
July 1st, 2020
A fabric-clad tower in southern Germany brings technicians, elevator experts and the public together in one spectacular vertical setting. By Bruce N. Wright, FAIA The fabric-wrapped ThyssenKrupp test tower in Rottweil, Germany, is used to test and certify high-speed elevators, reducing development time of skyscrapers. The tower’s observation deck offers visitors stunning views of the […]
Innovative fabric facades
May 1st, 2020
Changing the look and function of architecture for a sustainable future. by Bruce N. Wright, FAIA Architects are fond of describing their buildings in the metaphoric terms of the human body. The supporting structure is often referred to as the skeleton that holds it up; the enclosure (or envelope) is the skin that protects the […]
Channeling nature through fabric at Allianz Field
September 1st, 2019
Dramatic Allianz Field soccer stadium in Minnesota takes its cues from Lake Superior and aurora borealis. By Bruce N. Wright, AIA Soccer is an internationally loved sport for many reasons, but one draw has to be the fluid physicality of the athletes. The new Allianz Field soccer stadium in St. Paul, Minn., reflects this dynamic […]
Fabrics bring museum exhibits to life
September 1st, 2018
Visitors to the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Miss., are bound to be moved by the multiplicity of impressions, sounds, lights and graphic images that could only be presented with the aid of fabric. “This Little Light of Mine,” the name of the main exhibition at the Jackson museum, aims to immerse visitors […]
‘Mass to membrane’ continues to influence the future of architecture
August 1st, 2018
Nicholas “Nic” Goldsmith, FAIA, has been a major player for more than 40 years in the development of fabric architecture in North America and around the globe through his leadership of the innovative architectural/engineering firm FTL Design Engineering Studio, based in New York City. I’ve known Nic for more than 20 of those years, and […]