Taiyo Membrane India (TMI), the trading name of Australian tensile membrane and shade structure specialist MakMax, has created unique tensile membrane roof, supported by a vast cable net for the revamped 60,000-seat Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which was the venue for the games’ opening and closing ceremonies and main athletic events.
MakMax was awarded the contract to supply and install an ambitious fabric and cable roof design. MakMax installed the AUD13 million ($13 million) roof spanning 54,000 square metres, which is the largest of its kind in Asia. The installation was completed in June 2010.
One notable element that makes the roof structure unique is the distinctive fabric and cable net roof, designed on the principles of a bicycle wheel by German firm Gerkan Marg und Partner (GMP).
Gerkan Marg und Partner (GMP), who is responsible for the elegant design, has incorporated steelwork and cables to support over 58,000 square meters of PTFE glass fibre fabric. The stadium roof spans a dramatic 70m into the atrium space supported entirely by an external steel frame to cover the whole spectator area. Hence, the supporting steelwork needed to be precisely engineered and executed. This external steelwork gives a lattice effect, providing the stability needed while completely transforming the appearance of the structure.
MakMax has worked with GMP previously on the recently completed Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in South Africa.
Richard MacDonald, president of MakMax’s India operations, stated that the company’s canopies use a durable but lightweight fabric that can deflect 80% of sunlight. This, combined with drainage systems installed into the steelwork to drain off massive quantities of water, proved suitable for India’s hot and unpredictable climate.
