Signature Structure.
The Mistral hypar is still one of our most popular Signature Structures and a very cost effective way of introducing shade as well as a sculptural feature into wide open spaces. This summer we installed two 7m Mistral tensile structures for Carillion at the newly built North Durham Academy to provide shelter over picnic areas for the students.
The challenge.
As with most large scale building projects the main contractor has to juggle its sub-contractors in order to complete all areas on time and to budget. With tensile structures such as the 7m Mistral, the concrete foundations need to be installed fairly early on but the paving and other ground works cannot be completed until the canopy is finished. So keeping a close eye on the programme and liaising regularly with the Main Contractor’s site Management Team is always a key part of the job for us.
The solution.
The fabric at North Durham is a Silicone Coated Glass Weave. The fabric has to be treated with care prior to installation so as not to ‘crease’ the glass fibres within the fabric but it is a favourite with architects and designers because of its high translucency values and the silicone coating that helps prevent dirt build up.
The steelwork was given our standard finish by Shot Blasting, Zinc Priming and then Polyester Powdercoating. The RAL colour chosen here is 7021 Black Grey, which looks stunning against the white fabric and the colour scheme of the Academy buildings.
