Signature Structures reach artistic heights
Fabric Architecture structures are often artistic sculptures in their own right, but at a new housing development in the Dorset town of Blandford, one of our Signature Structures canopies is playing a supporting role to a new piece of art.
We were approached by Tim Ward of Circling the Square to design and install a tensile fabric canopy for an art project he’d be commissioned on at the Badbury Heights housing development. Developer Persimmon Homes had allocated funding to North Dorset District Council for the provision of public artwork that told the town’s history.
Tim’s sculptured seating concept – which intricately represents historical moments from Blandford’s past – required a cost-effective canopy structure that would need minimal maintenance and provide long-lasting weather protection.
We proposed a Mistral shade canopy from our Signature Structures collection as a convenient, pre-engineered solution with scope to be customised to meet the brief. Manufactured using UV and water-resistant fabric, it has a life expectancy of 10 to 30+ years.
To create an open and inviting bench canopy, we re-engineered the 5m x 5m Mistral system to work with more substantial vertical steel mast supports in place of the existing angled supports that require additional ‘backstays’ for stability. The result is an organic centrepiece canopy that enhances the beautifully sculptured benches while providing shade protection and rain cover.
Thank you to Tim Ward and Circling the Square for involving Fabric Architecture in such an interesting project – and we hope the people living in and around Badbury Heights enjoy this artistic canopied seating for many years.
