THE CHALLENGE – PROVIDE AN ARCHITECTURAL HIGH POINT FOR A NEW SOCCER STADIUM
The city of Chester, next to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is re-inventing itself after decades of decline. By building Talen Energy Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium at the base of the Commodore Barry Bridge, the city hoped to kick start renewed life and vitality in an important historic location.
A key challenge for this project was cost. Project directors recognized that a lightweight tensile membrane roofing system would meet functional and aesthetic requirements for much less than a traditional roofing system. Other challenges included a tight timeframe and difficult site access.
THE SOLUTION – EARLY INPUT AND A FULL SERVICE PACKAGE FOR A RESULT THE COMMUNITY LOVES
Our experience with the Rio Tinto stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah and the reputation it has with the soccer community gave us the edge to win this important contract. The tension membrane roof was the iconic architectural element for the Rio Tinto stadium, as it would be for this project.
Structurflex provided early design input, because it was important to integrate the membrane engineering with other vital elements, such as water drainage, wiring and media systems. We recommended PTFE-coated fiberglass, due to its superior translucency, longevity, fire rating and strength. Once the design was finalized, we provided the final engineering package, full tensile membrane system and complete installation.
Chester is immensely proud of its new stadium. It has become a symbol of optimism and renewal for the oldest city in Pennsylvania.
We are pleased to have collaborated with KieranTimberlake and the outfit of a parking structure on the Rice University Campus. In their blog post, they describe the concepts they employed to create an iconic sculptural element. For more details see the KieranTimberlake blog post.
The Increasing Importance of DurabilityWhile tensile fabric has several distinct advantages over more traditional materials like glass, one of the most important may be its ability to withstand severe weather events. Our tensile structures and tensile facades in Miami, Jacksonville, Houston, Fort Worth, Waco, and Atlanta did not sustain any damage or require any repair despite enduring events ranging […]
