example, can be used on roofs or façades, and enable
the creative use of shape and lighting to create a
striking appearance that draws fans in.
Crowd noise is a proven advantage to home teams
and the atmosphere it brings is another draw for
spectators to attend a live event. The effect of the
cheering crowd can be enhanced with membranes and
proper design. A taut membrane can reflect the crowd
noise back down on to the playing surface, further
amplifying the atmosphere.
While the reverberation of the crowd at the stadium
is often a desirable effect of the stadium design, it is
possible to attenuate the effect with very lightweight
PTFE-coated acoustical membranes, like Fabrasorb
from Saint-Gobain. These materials can be
implemented as a second layer under a roof or banners
to reduce noise and reverberation.
To further ensure the comfort of the fans, many
stadia today are designed with natural airflow in mind.
In response, mesh fabrics have been developed for use
in façade and shading applications where some
protection from the sun and elements is desired – or
structural elements are hidden – and water tightness is
not necessary. Materials like SGM from Saint-Gobain
can often be colored for a custom appearance, while
still letting light and air through the membrane. An
additional benefit of allowing air flow through a
stadium to enhance growth of the grass on the pitch.
Got it covered
With an array of materials to choose from, stadium
architects can use permanent architectural membranes
to help realize nearly any design. With advantages of
high light transmission and transparency, strong
materials for long free spans, self-cleaning membranes
to reduce maintenance and pollution, mesh fabrics for
shading and airflow, and acoustical membranes to
enhance comfort of the fan, it is possible to deliver on
the client’s vision while satisfying different
performance criteria and retaining a visually coherent
and consistent building envelope. n
helps to virtually eliminate any maintenance associated
with cleaning of the membrane, even in urban
environments, which helps to reduce the use of
cleaning agents and their effect on the environment.
Fan experience
While the layout of the venue, the seats and even
concessions are critical to the fan experience, fan
comfort is also impacted by light, temperature and
sound, as well as a sense of safety. Fiberglass and PTFE
are non-combustible, and the resulting composite
material retains that trait throughout its useful life.
Membranes such as Sheerfill meet or exceed the most
stringent fire codes throughout the world.
With increasingly large and complex venues, seats,
sight lines and concessions have the most direct impact
on the fan, however the ambience of the arena, and the
connection to the external environment all affect the
ultimate experience.
The use of lightweight membranes allow the roof of
even a large stadium to feel light and airy, with natural
diffuse daylight filling the space below. Recently, new
membranes have been introduced that provide higher
light transmission, along with transparency. This allows
fans to see into the stadium even before they enter, and
for the fans inside the stadium to connect with the
world outside. Sheerfill Illuminate 28 Silver, for
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(Above) Allianz Field, home
to Minnesota United FC, has
Sheerfill Illuminate 28 Silver on
the façade, installed in 2018
(Below) Red Bull Arena in
Harrison New Jersey, USA,
features a roof of Sheerfill II
Silver, and a façade of
SGM-30 Silver mesh
142 www.stadia-magazine.com Showcase 2020
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