INTERIOR TENSION Project brief Grimshaw Architects’s brief was to create beautiful baffles that softened the look, feel and acoustics of the spacious Central Atrium of the Midfield Pier. Fabric Architecture was consulted at the pretender stage when other design considerations had already been rejected because of the extra loads they put on the existing roof. Installation access would be difficult, due to the height of the ceiling and obstacles below such as escalators, scaffolding and galleried walkways. Design solution With a strict limit of 5kg / m2, our Design Team created a unique, lightweight aluminium frame with a translucent silicon coated fabric ‘wrapped’ around it, which fitted the Architects’ brief perfectly. 42 stunning new Ceiling Blades illuminated at night with multi-coloured LED lights that change from pink, to green, to blue make this airport so pretty you could almost miss your flight if you stop to admire it for too long. Each of the double skinned Blade baffles are suspended from the primary steel roofing girders and spaced to allow natural light to filter through. Each canopy ranges in size from a tiny 2.7m wide up to 20m wide with combined total surface area of 1500m2. The undulating shapes and diffused lighting help to create a soft floating effect above the hustle and bustle of the travellers below. Fabric Architecture The art and science of tension

INTERIOR TENSION FABRIC Summary Client: Heathrow Airport Ltd. Location: Heathrow, London, UK Fabric Type: Silicone Coated Glass Weave Architect: Grimshaw Contractor: Balfour Beatty Construction Ltd. For more information or to discuss how we can help you, call Rob Arthur on Fabric Architecture Ltd 4 Nexus Brockworth Gloucestershire GL3 4AG +44 (0)1452 612 800 [email protected] www.fabricarchitecture.com Company registered in England No. 04119655