Beijing Tennis Club Relies on Shelter-Rite Architectural Fabric to Protect Courts
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Beijing Tennis Club Relies on Shelter-Rite® Architectural Fabric to Protect Courts While the origins of the sport lie in Western cultures, tennis has become a very popular sport in China. It has been reported that as many as 14 million Chinese are regular tennis players on the 30,000+ tennis courts in the country. The number of participants continues to grow at a rate approaching 15% per year, resulting in a business segment driving an exchange of $15B annually. The ever increasing number of tennis players, coupled with its TV presence (3rd most popular sport on Chinese TV), has increased the demand for additional, easily accessible facilities. In much of the country, outdoor courts are only useable for a portion of the year, and building hard shell tennis enclosures is often cost prohibitive. The use of architectural fabrics for building construction is increasing in popularity worldwide, particularly in China. For instance, there were 15 outdoor tennis courts within Beijing Sun Park, none of which were enclosed. As a result, tennis enthusiasts were being shut-out from their favorite pastime in inclement weather. In 2006, The Sun Park Tennis Club was constructed within Beijing Sun Park using a pressurized air structure made from an architectural fabric by Seaman Corporation. This design concept relies on low air pressure to inflate and secure a large permanent structure, providing wind and snow load carrying capability as a result of the tension provided by the pneumatic pressure. The 4000-sq.-meter structure houses six tennis courts in a fully environmentally controlled facility for year-round indoor use. Interior of Sun Park Tennis Club Client: Sun Park Tennis /Badminton Center Fabric: Shelter-Rite Brite ® The tennis industry prefers facilities that are attractive and well maintained. Excessive pollution and air quality concerns in Beijing present additional challenges to keep structures clean. For that reason, the owner of Beijing Sun Park chose a high-end, architectural fabric manufactured by Seaman Corporation in the United States. Shelter Rite® Brite™ fabrics are self-cleaning, maintaining a like-new appearance for decades. Shelter-Rite Brite is the standard for high aesthetic, architectural fabric structure construction. “Brite is the material of choice when designers and owners want an attractive building that retains its high aesthetic, like-new appearance for the life of the structure,” Richard Jiang of Seaman Shanghai said. “It meets all applicable Chinese and US Fire Codes and has a long track record in permanent structures.” Shelter-Rite® is a registered trademark of Seaman Corporation. 1000 Venture Blvd., Wooster, OH 44691 Phone 330-262-1111 Toll-free in USA 800-927-8578 Fax 330-263-6950 www.architecturalfabrics.com

Beijing Tennis Club Relies on Shelter-Rite ® Architectural Fabric to Protect Courts (continued) The fully insulated facility interior is well lighted, and houses regulation tennis courts in addition to offices, reception areas and athletic locker rooms. “We have found that our players enjoy the benefits of the indoor facility and are quick to point out the attractive facility to others,” said Aaron Cao, General Manager of the Sun Park facility. “The decision to use the Seaman Corporation architectural fabric with the fluoropolymer top finish has created a very attractive looking facility,...