Tensile Structures

Tensile structures - the method of construction whereby the structure is under tension rather than compression, has given rise to a new building tradition - lightweight constructions. Although tensile forms date back to the beginning of civilization, this new building tradition is a direct consequence of the scientific and technological developments which have taken place over recent years. A typical tensile structure will include highly resistant materials and the use of sophisticated theoretical studies and new technology. This issue, which takes a more technical approach than previous volumes in this series, looks at the innovative ways in which tensile structure has been used. It includes examples such as Michael Hopkin's Lords Cricket Ground, London; Future System's MOMI tent, a mobile structure realized for the London Museum of the Moving Image; C.W. Fentress, J.H. Bradburn and Associates' canopied terminal at Denver International Airport; and Ben van Berkel's Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam.