Fabric Structures
Project name: Tara Iti Golf Course
Materials used: Flexlight Lodge 6002 Double Sided Taupe & Beige
Materials Supplied By: Serge Ferrari
2025 Awards for Excellence Winner Tension Structures & Canopies 100-300 sqm
What did the client request?
The Tara Iti Golf Club Canopy project involved the design, fabrication, and installation of a bespoke architectural shade structure for one of the world’s most prestigious private golf clubs, located near Mangawhai on New Zealand’s east coast. Set within a landscape of windswept sand dunes overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Tara Iti Golf Club is internationally renowned for its minimalist design and natural elegance. The setting demanded an architectural solution that would provide functional shelter while blending seamlessly into the serene, coastal environment and complementing the refined character of the existing clubhouse.
The client approached us with a clear brief: to create a permanent shade solution that offered year-round weather protection for an outdoor space adjacent to the clubhouse, without obstructing the panoramic views or compromising the architectural language of the site. Being on the exposed coast, the client wanted the structure to be free-form and organic in appearance while being structurally efficient, integrating quietly into its surroundings whilst expressing the same sophistication that defines the club’s overall design.
In response, we developed a 135sqm tensile canopy that is supported at one edge by the clubhouse and delicately anchored by a series of slender aluminium poles that had been powder-coated to look like timber, each pole supported by two stainless steel tensioned cables. The canopy itself was crafted from Serge Ferrari’s Flexlight Lodge 6002, a high-performance membrane with a double-sided matte, textured finish resembling natural fabric, with the inner side being beige and the outer being Taupe. The canopy reflects the free-form, soft, organic aesthetic of the landscape, where its flowing edges mimic the contours of the nearby coastline and two elegant conical peaks provide both structural efficiency and sculptural interest.
What makes this project unique?
Thie project represents a rare synthesis of architectural sensitivity, technical precision, and environmental harmony. Among the projects we completed this past year, this canopy stands out not only for its elegant design but also for the way it responds to one of New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes with subtlety and respect.
The design required us to push the boundaries of tensile architecture – balancing the minimalist free-form aesthetic expected by the client with the structural demands of a coastal environment. Every detail, from the selection of the Flexlight Lodge 6002 fabric to the use of tensioned cables and finely crafted aluminium posts was carefully considered to ensure the structure would feel as though it belonged to the land, rather than imposed upon it. We created a permanent freeform canopy which was light enough to be taken down in the winter months if the club desired. This was achieved by using lighter aluminium support poles as opposed to the standard timber or steel which would require heavy access equipment to dismantle.
The site itself provided additional civil-work challenges, being sand-based geotechnical conditions. This meant a blade-pile foundation solution was required in conjunction with a central concrete-pad footing. Due to this, there was considerable collaboration required between the foundation designer and geotechnical engineer to ensure an appropriate solution was developed that would stand up to the unique geotechnical conditions.
Unlike more conventional canopy installations, this project was not about bold gestures or overt architectural statements. Its uniqueness lies in its restraint – its ability to disappear into the landscape while still providing a memorable spatial experience. The canopy’s flowing edges and sculptural peaks offer a subtle nod to the dunes and
sea beyond, while its integration with the existing clubhouse showcases a seamless collaboration between form and function. It is this quiet sophistication – achieved through a high level of design coordination and craftsmanship – that makes the Tara Iti canopy unlike any other project we undertook this year.
