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Tropicana Field roof replacement done early
May 1st, 2026
The last one of the 24 new Tropicana Field roof panels, made of composite fiberglass fabric by Serge Ferrari Group, was put in place in late November 2025, ahead of schedule. Work on the ballpark was expected to be completed in March, with the team’s Home Opener set for April 6. Image: Serge Ferrari/© Kailey […]
Inflatable underground geodesic homes tested by Pneumocell
May 1st, 2026
The dual-layer textile membrane weighs less than 1 kilogram per square meter (3 ounces per square foot). The outer layer is a polyester, coated on both sides with polyurethane (PU), and the inner is a single-sided PU-coated polyester textile. Image: Pneumocell Inspired by their research on inflatable structures as moon habitats, the team at Pneumocell, […]
An architectural take on permanent shade umbrellas
February 1st, 2026
Image: FIXER Photographic Studio Taiwanese architect Cheng-Tsung FENG took inspiration from traditional oil-paper umbrellas to create an airy park pavilion that has a pocket garden and benches for people to gather and relax inside. The structure takes an umbrella’s design and turns it on its head—well, more literally on its side. The shape appears as […]
ATA Japan members showcased at World Expo 2025 in Osaka
August 1st, 2025
The Future City pavilion, which showcases advanced urban concepts and transformative technologies, is made of a polyester mesh coated with PVC and titanium dioxide, which allows it to be self-cleaning with sunlight and rain while also reducing pollution in the air. It spans 150 meters (492 feet) in length. Image: Taiyo Kogyo ATA Japan members […]
Fabric architecture on display for millions in Osaka
May 1st, 2025
The 2025 World Expo Grand Ring in Osaka, Japan, where many events will take place April 13–Oct. 13. Country and regional pavilions are also inside it, including dozens of fabric structures. Image: Provided by Japan Association for the 2025. World Exposition © Expo 2025 A projected 28 million visitors to the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, […]
GuildWorks gives a California park its first shade
March 1st, 2025
River Park in Petaluma, Calif., is transforming. Its inaugural structure is the peninsula’s first shaded area—there aren’t even any trees—underneath a shade sail array composed of diamond shapes and providing a covered area more than 70 feet in diameter. It rises 20 feet and was created by GuildWorks LLC of Portland, Ore. “We see our […]
Fabric skin completely transforms riverboat casino
January 1st, 2025
Image: Structurflex/Daniel R. Berger II Calling it “a complete overhaul” doesn’t even begin to describe the transformation of the Bally’s riverboat casino in Kansas City, Mo., done by Structurflex of Merriam, Kan., with the FlexFacades cladding system. There’s nothing “old-timey riverboat” about the current look, although there is a nod to the water with some […]
Robotics plus ETFE fabric architecture in a Chinese building
December 1st, 2024
When you think of robotics, architecture probably is not what first comes to mind. But design company line+, of Hangzhou, China, partnered with robotics systems company RoboticPlus.AI to create a dynamic building like no other. The public building, Lotus by the Xiangjiang River in Changsha, in Hunan, China, has a central observation hall that raises […]
Baseball complex is repeat business for Signature Structures
July 1st, 2024
Spring means the start of baseball season, and in March, Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, Mass., opened its new indoor baseball and softball practice facility, thanks to work done by Signature Structures LLC of Easton, Pa. The company partnered with Dellbrook/JKS as general contractor and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge. This is the second facility Signature Structures […]
Awnings encourage natural light and offer shade protection
July 1st, 2023
Natural light can help reduce energy usage in our buildings. This is a lesson known for centuries but seemingly forgotten after the 1940s with postwar technological advances in air conditioning (coupled with the Modernist design movement that declared “ornament is a crime”). These stripped-down building facades spoke volumes about a new era of high-tech materials […]