Company:
Birdair Inc. Buffalo, NY

Project Details

Fabric 1

FGT800
Producer: Chukoh Chemical Industries Ltd.
Supplier: Chukoh Chemical Industries Ltd.


Engineer Name 1
Greg Freeman

Engineer Company 1
Thornton Tomasetti

Design Name
Michi Ishii & Lorena Ocaranza

Design Company
Birdair, Inc.

Fabrication Name
Taiyo Kogyo Mizuho

Fabrication Company
Taiyo Kogyo Corporation

Project Manager Name
Joe Magiera

Project Manager Company
Birdair, Inc.

Installation Name
Mike Sparks

Installation Company
Birdair, Inc.


Please describe the project specifications

Each year, the convention center hosts hundreds of events, conventions and trade shows, so a visually intriguing design was essential.
Birdair's PTFE-coated glass-fiber fabric offers a unique design solution representative of ocean waves, covering 8,400 square-meters of the structure's center, serving as an impressive aesthetic addition to the city. The span of the membrane is 91.5 m while the height of the masts (that help to aid in the tensioning of the fabric) are 27 m in length.


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

This is the feature exhibition hall of the San Diego convention Center known as "The Sails Pavilion". They needed to increase the capacity of the structure to support more lighting, HVAC and other equipment hanging from the tension structure. All cables, flying masts and fabric were replaced with upgraded capacity.


What is unique or complex about the project?

One of the challenges was working on a fully active convention center unlike the original project in 1989. Locating and operating the crane was a specific challenge with cars and conventioneers in close proximity. Safety is always our pritioryt and the removal and installtion were completed without incedent.


What were the results of the project?

The final results were quite positive. The removal and installation were completed on time and within the budget! The new LED system allows the Convention Center to change the appearance every night. This truly is a beacon on San Diego bay and the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter.


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