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Owners of a shopping mall in Austin, Texas, wanted to improve the shopping experience and add to the high-class ambience of the facility with a landscape renovation and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane cover for the common shopping area.
Situated in a beautiful park-like setting, the Domain Mall features 100 upscale and mainstream retail stores and restaurants, including high-end boutiques and traditional retailers. Using cables and the PTFE membrane, the steel and cable structure now stretches about 1393 m2 (15,000 sf), with the fiberglass membrane fabric covering about 529 m2 (5700 sf) of the total area.
The design plans included the use of cables and components of an architectural membrane to enhance the outdoor experience for patrons. The unique and colorful ‘mandolin’ shade structure was part of a multi-million dollar landscaping renovation covering approximately 929 m2 (10,000 sf) of the mall’s common area.
The canopy offers shade for customers and creates an area designed for live music performances, festivals, markets, and holiday activities. A tree-lined pedestrian promenade, with shaded gathering spaces and children’s play areas, now connects the north and south plazas. New lighting and trees rounded out the improvements, along with new signage.
The PTFE fiberglass membranes can be installed in climates ranging from extreme cold to the hot and dry Texas climate, with a project life in some cases exceeding 30 years. The fiber coating is chemically inert and immune to dangerous ultra-violet (UV) radiation. This unique combination of inertness, thermal stability, and surface properties make the PTFE-coated fabric membrane ideal for projects requiring superior weather- and fire-resistance.
The tensioned fabric structure offers a unique aesthetic for commercial building project, and in this case provides dramatic, eye-catching appeal to visitors.
Fabric structures are not only visually appealing, but can also be environmentally sensitive and economically competitive. A lightweight membrane provides a cost-effective solution because it requires less structural steel to support the roof or façade, enabling long spans of column-free space.
Please correct your credit for ALL photos of this project. All photos were captured by and are the property of The Lighting Practice (the lighting consultant for the project). Birdair asked to see the photos but did not properly attribute the photos for any marketing purposes.
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