Urban Center Guadalajara

2016 Award of Excellence
Tensile Structures, 600 – 2300 square meters (6,458 – 24,756 square feet)

Company:
FabriTec Structures LLC Dallas, TX

Project Details

Fabric 1

PTFE
Producer:

Engineer Company 1
FabriTec Structures

Architect Company
Central de Arquitectura

Subcontractor Company
Guard-All Building Solutions

Project Manager Name
Jose Fernandez & Eric Reese

Project Manager Company
FabriTec Structures

Installation Company
FabriTec Structures

Please describe the project specifications

Urban Center is a successful Mexican shopping center brand with six locations in four cities. The key to their success is their carefully planned locations, the quality of their architecture, and the combination of shopping and entertainment spaces.

Located in the south of the city, which has recently become an important residential and commercial center, Urban Center Guadalajara was conceived to become a landmark of the area.

In collaboration with prestigious Architect/Developer Central de Arquitectura, we designed an extraordinary structure that rises 46 feet above the ground level. The suspended roof is supported by six 80-meter-high masts. From the top of the masts, a series of steel cables, totaling 1,768 feet in length, provide stability to the fabric roof and connects it with the building. The use of cables allowed our engineers to reduce the size of the steel members that support the structure; the result is a structure that spans 138 liner feet and is supported by nothing more than thin rolled steel beams. The structure is located in the main atrium of the shopping center.

What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?

The roof's Teflon coated fabric (PTFE) was chosen for its lightweight and translucent properties which will let natural light while reducing the heat island effect and blocking out heat. In addition, the durable architectural fabric will protect the main atrium from rain, as Guadalajara has a three-month long rain season in the summer.

What is unique or complex about the project?

The structure is maximized on the spans and actually working in tension and suspension. Access to the structure was very limited which made it quite a challenge. But clearly the daylighting and up lighting at night set this tensioned fabric structure apart from other shopping centers who use only conventional materials.