Empire City Casino Yonkers, NY

Louis Vuitton Island Maison Singapore

Rosa Parks Transit Center Detroit

Sun Valley Pavilion Idaho

SkySong at ASU Campus in Scottsdale

The Aga Khan Garden is a gift to the University of Alberta from His Highness the Aga Khan,. Construction on the Garden, recently completed, marked both the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation. FTL designed and engineered the canopies for the landscape design firm Nelson Byrd Woltz.

FTL designed an enclosed terrace for the Times Square luxury hotel using a translucent membrane, integrated lighting and heated paving for dining and special events. The unique dining experience was developed by Chef John Fraser and opened in 2018.

This past summer FTL completed an enlargement of the seasonal SummerStage facility in Central Park which it originally designed in 2000. The new facility incorporates a new stage, larger roof canopy and raised bleachers along the perimeter creating an amphitheater quality to the new facility.

Providence College\'s new $30 million Ruane Friar Development Center will open in 2021. The Center will be a multi-purpose building that will significantly enhance athletics, student services, and College community life. FTL working with Perkins Eastman Architects as special structures consultant developed a three layer ETFE fritted foil roof which encloses a former outdoor street joining three athletic facilities.

FTL is currently engaged in the conversion of the abandoned minor league Bluefish Stadium in Bridgeport, Connecticut, into a performance venue. The adaptive reuse project incorporates the existing stadium seating and the addition of a new permanent membrane roof to create a 6,000 seat enclosed music pavilion.

CAPITOL CONCERTS AT THE US CAPITOL

After twenty years of using the original FTL tensile structure band shell, the producers wanted a larger one. The new 90' X 100' orchestra shell provides almost twice the coverage of the previous shell. It is designed to host the National Memorial Day Concert and the Capitol Fourth Concert on PBS each year. The structure is located between the United States Capitol and the Washington Monument, providing a strong relationship to its surrounding.

The design provides optimum acoustics for the orchestra, while the membrane provides a white canvas for lighting design and video projection.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL AT DISNEY WORLD

Rockwell Group Architects invited FTL to design and engineer a tensile membrane enclosure for their new theater for Cirque du Soleil. FTL developed the deisgn for a 20,000 sq ft permanent PTFE coated glass fabric membrane structure which created in one form an entrance, an outdoor waiting area and a faade to the cylindrical theater.

The fabric skin is composed of seven unique fields which vary in scale and dimension to manipulate the interstitial space between the building and outdoors and to provide passive solar shading for the building.

THE CARLOS MOSELEY PAVILION

The Carlos Moseley Music Pavilion was a state-of-the-art performance facility designed for the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic and The City of New York's Departments of Cultural Affairs and Parks and Recreation. The project was the culmination of many years of intensive development by Nic Goldsmith with Peter Wexler as Project Coordinator and Christopher Jaffe as the acoustical and sound consultant. Completely mobile, six custom semi-trailers carry the entire facility to any open performance site. Designed to be set up in six hours with minimal impact on the fragile park locations. The trailers include a self-contained foundation for the pavilion and operable booms required for deployment of the facility. The Pavilion's pyramidal open truss structure incorporates an acoustic shell, a 40' x 78' folding stage, computerized lighting system, video projection screen and a distributed sound system employing twenty-four wireless remote speaker towers.  

PIER 6 MUSIC PAVILION

Begun as a temporary performance structure intended to be in place for only five years, the original crab like tensile canopy proved so popular that it was retained for 10 years. In 1994 it was replaced with a larger, more sophisticated building with permanent support facilities that would retain the imagery and feeling of the previous structure.

The new building responds to its surroundings with a structure that is both more formal and more graceful than the original. The new facility seats 3,500 under cover with a further 1,000 in sight of the stage on an external terraced grass area, and incorporates the tensile structure roof with two-tory masonry construction for backstage, administration and toilets. The use of these different materials create.

SUN VALLEY

The Seasonal Sun Valley Music pavilion is located on the south campus of the Sun Valley Resort, inspired by its natural setting and destined to become a community gathering place for performance events. The sky and mountain are captured by the free flowing sensual roof, comprising of a seasonal luminous tensile membrane covering 1,800 seats and a permanent steel cable net with wood covering over stage and support facilities. The surrounding landscape is sculpted into an undulating park gently elevated creating a natural amphitheater, to be able to see Trail Creek Canyon, Dollar Mountain and Baldy while you relax with your picnic basket and enjoy orchestral music. The facility is a technological and structural accomplishment and demonstrates how a permanent and seasonal structures can be integrated to offer the best of both worlds - use of wood for symphonic acoustic blending and a tensile membrane for luminous reflective space. The ambiance shall be once an interior space and an outdoor room drenched in diffused sunlight. The Sun Valley Summer Symphony hosts its season at the facility along with other community music and arts events, each with an intimate relationship to the stage with unobstructed sight lines and excellent sound quality.

SKYSCAPE

The New Millennium Experience contracted Edwin Shirley Staging to provide a turnkey cinema adjacent to the Millennium Dome at the Millennium Dome Site in Greenwich, England. FTL was hired to design the building shell based on our experience in relocatable buildings. Since ESS is a truss and staging supplier in the UK, FTL approached the design using large trusses as primary vertical supports (much like a music stage canopy) and large horizontal trusses spanning the 58m width. The trusses suspended a tensile membrane roof made of PTFE glass fabric acting as a parallel wave structure to create a wavy rectangular volume. The exterior walling system was polycarbonate panels similar to the system used on the Millennium Dome itself.

The 'Baby Dome' was completed in the Fall of 1999 in time for the Millennium celebrations and was dismantled in 2001 and its contents were recycled.

THE RUSSELL B. AITKEN SEABIRD AVIARY THE BRONX ZOO, NEW YORK

The Russell B. Aitken Seabird Aviary at the Bronx Zoo in NYC had been in existence for more than a hundred years, when in the early spring of 1995 the old building collapsed under the weight of a heavy snow fall. The Wildlife Conservation Society selected FTL to design a new aviary based on the existing site with a program design thirty percent larger, more interactive with visitors and more conducive to the requirements of its permanent inhabitants - the birds. In order to maintain historic continuity and existing features,  the old false rock work was incorporated into the new design as were the mature dense trees that surrounded the site. The 30,000-square-ft building is situated within a sinuous, concrete perimeter wall that in parts is submerged below ground and emerges at each end to accommodate cave-like entrances. These design features that maintain the illusion of a completely unrestrained external environment. The achievement of this design requirement has been assisted by the specification of an extremely fine one- millimeter-diameter wire rope which has been woven into a 25-millimeter grid... at a distance this cable net becomes invisible to the visitor. Though the new building is both visually and environmentally transparent, it is able to resist snow loads and wind loads. The net is supported by  steel arches springing forming a diagonal pattern in plan. The net acts in unison with the supporting arches using double-curved shape.

NEW PHOENIX CENTRAL LIBRARY

Twenty four 75 foot long vertical shade panels consisting of a polyester/PVC shade cloth descend the north wall of the New Phoenix Central Library which opened in May of this year in Phoenix, Arizona. The shade panels are designed to block direct sunlight in the early mornings of the Summer months.

The open-mesh, warped shade cloth created a 'brise soleil' shading effect on the north wall of the library and gave the building an elegant diaphanous facade through the interplay of the fabric shading and glass curtain wall. The panels used custom machined stainless steel fittings which tied into the glass mullions.

UNDER THE SUN

Exhibition

Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum

Excellence in the design of solar-powered systems and products was the focus of an outdoor exhibition at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum's 'Under the Sun: An Outdoor Exhibition of Light' on view from June through October 1998. As one of the pioneers incorporating photovoltaic technology into their designs, FTL created the first PV embedded tensile structure. Using flexible, thin-film photovoltaics bonded to a translucent fabric, the structure was designed to demonstrate off-grid power capacity for a variety of permanent or temporary applications. In addition, a PV embedded glass pavilion was designed and an interactive solar clock using custom designed furniture.

Shading Skin

Louis Vuitton's new flagship store in Singapore opened in September amidst great fanfare to coincide with the annual Grand Prix. This Crystal Pavilion is part of the Marina Bay Sands complex designed by Moshe Safdie and is Vuitton's first stand alone Island Maison™. Being in an equatorial region, the interior architect, Peter Marino requested FTL to develop the design of a shading system that provided shade yet allowed translucency to enter the space. FTL developed an interior modular system where the fabric panels float off lightweight aluminum frames providing a backdrop to the product display and creating a soft filtered light throughout the two floors of glass enclosure. The 25,000 square feet shading system uses two different fabric types, one for the walls and another for the multifaceted ceiling, providing different translucencies as required.

AT&T GLOBAL PAVILION

Atlanta, Georgia

The focal point of Centennial Park and AT&T's Olympic sponsorship during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta was the Global Olympic Pavilion.  Designed as a triad of structures including the Athlete's Pavilion, Media Center and Consumer Pavilion. Built to accommodate Olympic athletes and their families, house television broadcast studios and entertain park visitors throughout the Games, the Pavilion site emerged as the 'living room' and 'walk-in-theater' for the millions of people who came to enjoy the 1996 Summer Games.

With soaring truss arches of tensioned fabric reminiscent of Gothic Cathedrals, the Athlete's and Media Centers were comprised of 90,000 square feet of relocatable architecture featuring state-of-the-art tension structure design, multi-story glass curtain walls, relocatable elevators and a 200 foot wide live video projection screen. Completing the AT&T Pavilion venue, a 60 foot tall cone-shaped exhibition facility, the Consumer Pavilion, was used as a gallery to showcase communications technology to the general public. Each evening, up to 250,000 people occupied Centennial Park to view the live performances of the outdoor stage and the center of the pavilions served as clear site lines to the live video images.

 

CAVALIA: VOLTIGE CIRCUS TENSILE STRUCTURE

The Voltige tent was designed for a new horse show production to be set up in ten locations in the US and Canada. Voltige reached out to FTL to lead the design process. The challenge was to come up with a fresh look while incorporating the limitations of the gigantic scale that this project demanded and the issues of  quick installation that circus tents are typically designed for. Non-availability of cranes or other heavy equipment together with a set up time of only seven days per venue demanded that the design emerge from an exhaustive study of the installation process. The structure is comprised of four 100 feet tall primary masts, spaced 80 feet apart. The membrane is designed independent of the sidewalls with alternating high and low points. The side walls to not carry any of the main loads, thereby allowing a quick installation of the main skin. Project Team: Tensile Structure Design & Engineering: FTL Design Engineering Studio, New York, NY Tensile Structure Fabrication: Canobbio S.p.a., Italy Photographic Credits: Nicolas Paulette, Voltige, Montreal, Canada.

THE DYSON D-TOUR

Dyson time lapse 60 sec from Ashish Soni on Vimeo.

The Dyson Company wanted to showcase their new vacuum cleaner product the DC-15 with EventQuest, NYC. This product uses a revolutionary ball instead of wheels to drive the vacuum cleaner which allows for much sharper turns in the vacuuming process.

Our firm was contacted by Eventquest on behalf of Dyson to design a portable event and exhibit structure. Based on our history with portable buildings, we developed the ball concept as an air supported inflatable structure held down by a steel tetrahedral ring.  The tetrahedral frame created an eight foot double wall service zone which housed electrical distribution, air handling equipment and ballast foundations for the structure.

Entry into the structure began with a lightweight lattice portico which joined onto the tetrahedral frame and opened into a large 85 foot diameter dome shaped space where the exhibit began. The exhibit continued along a curved ramp which ascended a full floor until one reached a spherical geode which contained a small cinema. The cinema showed a 360 degree film about the new product.

By using pneumatic technology, the entire structure was assembled on site at Lincoln Center in three days. The event and subsequent exhibition continued for four days and the structure and exhibit was dismantled in two days. By using double skin fabric walls on the first floor, a clean exterior and interior space was maintained. Generally in portable buildings, the exterior space is filled with the services such as temporary power and HVAC. The water ballast allowed the installation to occur without transport of concrete foundations which are typical for temporary structures.

HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY

The 'Machine Tent' is part of a larger traveling exhibition developed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Harley Davidson Motor Company. 'The Machine Tent' is the central and the only custom designed facility amongst various stantard rental tents all of which house various exhibits.

The design of a travelling structure for installation in different countries all over the world involves incorporating the logistics of designing to various building regulations as well as studying availability of equipment and manpower in these regions. A greater challenge was the extremely short and limited delivery time. The total time frame available for design, engineering and fabrication fot this tent was less than 20 weeks.

'The Machine Tent' is circular in plan, 160 ft in diameter. It is comprised of a central mast and six secondary masts, radially organised, that are capped with a trussed arch. This gives the canopy its unique form. To reduce the installation time and manpower, the structure is designed to be self-erecting. This is achieved with trussed compression members with internally mounted motors and winches that hoist themselves as well as the other components. The fabric is divided into six identical fields enabling quick fabrication and installation.

Nike Camp Victory, Summer 2012

To create a new iconic image for the US Olympic Track and Field Trials at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Nike required a series of temporary elements which could transform the field and track grounds. Nike reached out to Skylab Architecture to develop the concept of three fin shaped elements which represent a sense of speed and lightness. Skylab in turn approached FTL Design Engineering Studio long known for its work in deployable architecture to develop the forms into a finely tuned relocatable building system.

The Nike Olympic Trials Pavilions consist of three temporary structures which were developed in four weeks, fabricated in a six weeks and set up in two weeks on site. FTL engineered temporary ballast foundations which were used as the artificial turf on grade could not be touched. A lightweight steel frame was designed where 64translucent fabric panels could be quickly tensioned to create a visual ‘light box’ projecting out on the surrounding track. Lightweight cables braced the frame allowing for pin joints for quick assembly and dismantling.

These types of unique structures act as corporate branding and symbolize the dynamic quality of peripatetic facilities which can set up quickly and move to different sites. It reflects the perfectly the speed of today’s environment where yesterday is gone and tomorrow is always new.

ROSA PARKS TRANSIT CENTER

Midwest Construction's Best of 2009, Project of the year for Transportation FTL created an urban plaza, covered by a sustainable skin to define space, washed with day lighting and harvesting rain water, transcending infrastructure into sculpture. The iconic public space energizes the urban fabric, helping to uplift run-down attitudes and adjacent properties. The new Rosa Parks Transit Center includes a passenger terminal and roof canopy covering a drop off and outdoor waiting area which plays a pivotal role in providing alternate means of public transportation to the greater Detroit area. The project brief was simple: a permanent roof structure, to withstand harsh weathers, durable, easy to maintain, inexpensive and unique. The architect, Parson Brinkerhoff, MI, a pioneer in transportation facilities, invited FTL to be part of their team to develop an ?elegant and contemporary canopy?. FTL developed a design approach that uses flowing canopies to create an active visual space and naturally day light space which challenges the conventional notion of roof where the membrane both hovers 50 ft in space, and in other areas brought to ground and to act as a giant water collector.

SAN FRANSISCO AIRPORT

FTL assisted James Carpenter Design in developing the design and engineering fabric diffusers as light monitors which bring in natural daylight at the new San Francisco International Airport designed by SOM. Completion was in 2000.

STATEN ISLAND ESPLANADE

The structure provides a sheltered bus waiting space from where pedestrians can view Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Though the sculptural concept began as a grove of metal and fabric trees, there are obvious visual connections with the bridge.

The 'trunk' of each 'tree' explodes into a helical expanding mesh of stainless steel 'branches' that collect into a rectangular frame at the top. Each tree is counter-balanced by its mirror image which is then repeated along the esplanade to create an avenue.  An illuminated fabric membrane fits within the branches providing an illumination surface.

UN Interim Canopy

The UN Interim Canopy is located on the north lawn of the United Nations campus, in New York City. The Structure sits adjacent to the UN’s new temporary General Assembly building designed by HLW International and acts as an entrance pavilion/security screen for international delegates. The structure was envisioned as permanent, yet is easily relocatable to other sites when the larger UN renovation project is completed.

The design is intended to act as a low profile transition from the main drive to the delegate entry. Drawing its inspiration from the surrounding landscape the canopy is nested within the campus landscape utilizing the contours of site as a visual buffer. Its’ helical arches undulate and twist along the length of the roadway gently peeling away from the main building. The translucent membrane provides natural light during the day and allows the form to glow in the evening. Incorporated into the design are both passive and active cooling systems which allow cars to idle below the canopy.

Construction completed in 2010

NYC EDC Citywide Ferries

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2015 announced the launch of a new Citywide Ferry Service. It was planned to launch in two phases: the first phase launched on May 2017, with service along the East River to the Rockaways and to Bay Ridge and Astoria respectively. A second phase, in August 2018, launched to the Lower East Side and Soundview. FTL designed and engineered the canopy structures in collaboration with McLaren Engineering who were the overall project engineers.