Tensile structure revamps historic sugar refinery site

by tanya_martins | March 15, 2025 9:29 am

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Birdair Inc., a specialty contractor for custom tensile membrane structures, updated the Domino Square Park in Brooklyn with a new seasonal tensile structure for the park’s public plaza space.

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The structure includes steel columns painted in a turquoise-like blue, a stainless-steel cable net system, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) mesh fabric, and clamping hardware.

The PVC mesh fabric structure marks a significant milestone in the ongoing redevelopment of the historic Domino Sugar Refinery site.

Constructed using a state-of-the-art cable net system and 122 panels of white PVC-coated mesh membrane, the structure offers both shade and comfort at the oval-shaped plaza during summer events. In the winter, the easily demountable PVC mesh panels will be removed and stored as the plaza transforms into Williamsburg’s first waterfront ice-skating rink.

Of the 122 fabric panels based on the unique cable net design, five different geometric sizes comprised the entire design. One of the challenges during the installation process was to create access to the various elevations during construction to get equipment to the necessary areas.

The tensile cable structure, which spans nearly 929 m² (10,000 sf), was collaboratively designed by Studio Cadena, a New York-based architecture and design office; Lightweight Structures Group of Silman, a design and engineering firm; and Two Trees Management, which owns, develops, and maintains residential, commercial, and retail properties across Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/tensile-structure-revamps-historic-sugar-refinery-site/

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