Fabric roofing for retail centers highlights a selection of spinoffs in the field of construction

The focal point of East Towne Mall is the large Center Court, whose lofty STRUCTO-FAB roof measures more than 15,000 square feet. The Center Court contains a two-story atrium, a food pavilion with more than a dozen restaurants sharing a common dining area, and Towne Mall is STRUCTO-FAB®, a a stage for such events as fashion product of Owens-Corning shows and musical performances. Fiberglas Corporation, Toledo, One of the architectural attractions , a lightweight but extremely of STRUCI_O-FAB is that the fabric durable material made of structure requires fewer interior Fiberglas® coated with Teflon®. supports than conventional roofs, The translucent STRUCTO-FAB thus freeing more floor space for roofing transmits daylight to create use. The Center Court is supported a bright, outdoors-like atmosphere by only three 64-foot steel masts. Townepened lastMall year,in Knoxville,the East with reduced need for artificial In addition to the Center Court, exemplifies a growing lighting, thus providing not only an there are two intermediate courts, trend toward covering retail aesthetically-appealing structure each covered by 2,700 square feet centers--wholly or partially--with but also an energy-efficient of STRUCTO-FAB supported by six permanent architectural fabric. The enclosure for protection from laminated wood arches. There is fabric used in construction of East the weather. also an 1,800-square-feet fabric

\ entrance canopy. ()wens-Corning's yarn that seemed to meet all the and (teteri()ration, an(t the n()n- Fabric: Structures I)ivision was requirements. The yarn was w()ven stick characteristics of _lbl]()n design/build contractor for the into a fabric, coated with l_fl()n (a all()w periodic cleansing ()I"the fabric<'overed areas of East Towne pr()duct of The Du Pont C()mpany, r()()l" surfaces by rainfall. Mall, which is a joint venture of Wilmington, Delaware) and tail()re(t STRIT(:'I_)-FAI{ has been use(t t() Melvin Simon & Associates of for astronaut wear. The material c()ver a number ()1 ()ther malls and Indianapolis and JCP Realty ()f thus pr()duce(t provided the basis retail centers in re('ent years. The City. The architectural I'or development ()f heavier, first--in 1982--was the awar(t design company was Copeland, constructi()n-use adaptations. winning Mall At 16;}rd Street, Novak, Israel and Simmons, als() At East Towne Mall, the fabric Miami, Flori(la. ()ther examples of New York. transmits 10 percent of daylight, include the Buenaventura Mall, John McNamara, senior vice but STRUCT()-FAB can be Ventura, Calif()rnia, c(m_pleted last president of the latter firm, engineered for other applications year; Bullock's Fashion Island, San explained why STRUCTO-FAB was to translucence values ranging Mate(), Calilk)rnia; _li)wn & (:()untry selected: "The fabric structure fr()m four to 18 percent. Because Mall, tIouston, %xas; and seemed very appropriate. We the filtered natural light is diffuse, Crossgates Mall, Albany, New D)rk. needed large, unobstructed spans shadows and glare disappear. In Although mall-c()vering is a for the court areas and we also addition to the lessened need for relatively new application, wanted a change in character to artificial lighting, the fabric's high Fiberglas fabric as a permanent break up the long travel distances reflectivity--about 75 percent-- c()vering has been in service since in the center. The cheerful ambience minimizes solar heat buildup, the early 1970s in a wide variety of the 'tents' seemed .just right, contributing to lower cooling costs. of structures all over the world, especially for the Center Court." Pound for pound, the Fiberglas among them the Haj Terminal at STRUCIXO-FAB is an outgrowth fabric is stronger than steel; it King Abdulaziz International of a material whose origin dates to weighs less than five ounces per Airport, Jedda, Saudi Arabia; 1967, when NASA was looking for square foot. STRUCTO-FAB animal enclosures at the North a new fabric for astronaut space has a number of attributes that Carolina Zoological Park suits. It had to be durable and combine to reduce maintenance (Asheb()ro) and Boston_ Franklin noncombustible, yet thin, light and requirements: the %flon coating Park Zo(); and many sp()rts and flexible. Owens-Corning had been makes the fabric resistant to recreation centers, such as the experimenting with a glass fiber moisture, temperature extremes Pontiac () Silverd()me and the Stadium at B.C. Place, Vancouver, British Columbia.

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