It is almost impossible to narrate the history of human development and civilization without touching on the history of tensile fabric structures. As a matter of fact, the two are inextricably linked and interweaved. The early tensile structures were mostly made of wood or bone and covered with animal hides since fabrics were not easily available.
It was not until the 1950s that tangible progress was seen in the design of tensile structures. Prior to this period, the function and shape of these structures were primarily determined by the geographical location and climate. The tensile structures made in Eastern Europe resembled those found in colder parts of North America. All of them were made from animal bones and carefully covered with hide.
The most interesting bit about the traditional tensile structures was that irrespective of geographical location and differences in time periods, tensile structures shared similar characteristics. For instance, the Native American tipi had the same pattern as the structures in Siberia. The structures were light and as such easy to carry around. This was particularly convenient because both cultures were nomadic and animal-keeping was their mainstay.
Types of Traditional Tensile Structures
Among the most prominent traditional tensile buildings were Eskimo tents and the North American Tipi.
Eskimo Tents
Eskimos generally had two distinct cultures; the summer culture and winter culture. The summer culture was associated with fishing and kayak hunting. The winter culture on the other hand was associated with hunting on ice and dog sleds. Because of the differences in environmental conditions and extreme seasonal contrast, the Eskimos lived in summer tents and winter houses respectively. These dwelling are a critical hallmark in the history of tensile fabric structures.
Summer dwelling tensile structures were made of drift wood that was then covered with animal hide. Since wood was valuable and scarce, the Eskimos never burnt wood as fuel and as such these structures never had a smoke hole. To hold the tent onto the ground, large rocks were placed around the edges of the animal hide.
Winter dwelling tensile structures on the other hand were made from whale ribs. These ribs had a curved shape which allowed them to converge at a point above the entrance of the tent which was supported by a jaw bone of a whale. Animal hides were then laid and tightly fastened at the top. As opposed to summer dwelling tents which could be easily transported on people’s backs or dog sleds, winter structures were difficult to transport.
history of tensile fabric structures
Northern American Tipi
Tipi is a Lakota language word which means a dwelling.
These were conical structures that were portable and had two adjustable smoke flaps. Their foundations consisted of 2 to 4 lodge poles that ranged from 12 to 25 feet in length. The detachable cover that was placed over the structure was historically made of buffalo skin and a bison calf skin or canvas at the entrance. An ozan which was a partial interior ceiling covered the occupants and protected them from the rain.
The skin covering the tipi was held to the ground using traditional pegs which were carefully driven in slits located at the bottom of the hide cover. Some of the tipis were decorated using paintings which featured animal designs, personal experiences including war or hunting and portrayals of celestial bodies.
Modern Tensile Buildings
The Middle Eastern black tent continued the history of tensile fabric structures into the modern age. This culture was mainly nomadic and relied heavily on animal keeping as a source of their livelihood. These tents which were transported by dromedaries were made from intricately woven goat hair. The aerodynamic shape of the tent was built with the environment in mind because it allowed it to withstand the strong desert winds. Because of the flexibility of these tensile structures, its size and orientation could be quickly manipulated so as to accommodate changes in the wind direction.
As a slight departure from the Middle Eastern black tents, most of the modern tensile structures benefit from stronger fabrics that have a longer lifespan which spreads even over 30 years or more. However, modern day tensile structures and architecture owes it’s free flowing and breathtaking designs to two main visionaries.
The first to unleash the potential of tensile structures was a Russian engineer named Vladimir Shukhov whom back in 1896 developed the first practical formula for calculating the stress loads and deformations of a tensile thin shell structure. This allowed for the first time architects to confidently design open span structures once thought impossible, knowing that Vladimir Shukhov’s engineering could be used to confirm their designs construction and real world applications.
The next evolutionary advancement in modern day tensile architecture was thrust upon us by the visionary German architect and engineer Frei Otto, whom back in the early 1950’s started to experiment with tensile design and engineering by introducing tensile cables and membrane plates. The introduction of these elements enabled stress loads to be transferred and shared enabling structures to expand in size and form, far beyond anything we had seen before. The first building project to use his radical approach was the West German Pavilion at Expo 67. However, it was his design on the Olympic Stadium Roof for the Summer Olympics 1972 in Munich which made the architectural world stand up and gasp in astonishment. To many he is the father of modern tensile architecture.
Today, architects and engineers are continuing to push the boundaries of tensile design with more elegant, energy efficient and economic solutions in places where large open spans structures are needed. With the rise in computing technology where computerized programs are used for patterning and form finding, the history of tensile fabric structures is poised for a dramatic progression that will see more amazing features and design solutions being introduced.
For more information we have found Wikipedia a great source for our information.
To find out more about the capabilies of tensile fabric structure designs, call us on +44(0)1249 848649 or email us at info@airsculpt.co.uk
