Fabric Structures
Project name: Metro Sports Facility (Parakiore) – Acoustic Plenum Panels
Material used: Serge Ferrari Alphalia AW, Serge Ferrari 502S2,
Fabric Supplied by: Serge Ferrari
2024 Awards for Excellence Winner – Innovation
What did the client request?
We were tasked with designing, engineering, procuring and installing a
custom ceiling panel solution that provided both an acoustic solution along
the underside of the panel (facing the pools) as well as a solid membrane
for a plenum on the top side. The brief was that the ceiling could not sag or
look like a series of sails, meaning the look and feel is like a series of rigid
rectangular panels (approx. 150 panels in total), creating a more uniform
ceiling system. These panels were all varying in sizes (max. 5mx9m) and also
had to be installed around a series of skylights to allow light into the pool
areas.
What makes this project unique?
This was the first of its kind in NZ with the rigid panel look and feel. This
meant considerable R&D was required as well as procurement of unique
custom panel tensioning system from China.
We had to design, engineer, then get a unique dye made for the panel
extrusion system from China, then order approx. 4,000LM of the extrusion
at 9m lengths. The tensioning extrusion was designed to carry two PVC skins
(acoustic and solid) and be externally tensioned using a frame.
Then on site, each of the 150 panels had to be individually assembled and
lifted in place from a bird cage scaffolding up to 20m above ground level. As
with a lot of these large scale projects there was considerable programme
delays, (some due to Covid) meaning we had to leave site on multiple
occasions, with the overall project taking over 4 years to complete.
This meant considerable challenges with the main contractor in regard to
variations for time, considerable cost increases (inflation) over this period,
we finally completed this project in May 2024. We have entered this project
as this was the first of its kind in NZ with the rigid panel look and feel. This
meant considerable R&D was required as well as procurement of unique
custom panel tensioning system from China.
Essentially we had to design, engineer, then get a unique dye made for
the panel extrusion system from China, then order approx. 4,000LM of the
extrusion at 9m lengths. The tensioning extrusion was designed to carry two
PVC skins (acoustic and solid) and be externally tensioned using a frame.
Then on site, each of the 150 panels had to be individually assembled
and lifted in place from a bird cage scaffolding up to 20m above ground
level. As with a lot of these large scale projects there was considerable
programme delays, (some due to Covid) meaning we had to leave site on
multiple occasions, with the overall project taking over 4 years to complete.
This meant considerable challenges with the main contractor in regard to
variations for time, considerable cost increases (inflation) over this period,
we finally completed this project in May 2024.
