2026 Archive : Las Olas Tunnel Top

Project Details

Fabric 1

Solamesh
Producer/Manufacturer: Trivantage LLC
Primary Use: Main Fabric

Engineer Name 1
Stanley Breitweiser

Engineer Company 1
Industrial Shadeports Inc

Design Name
Daniel Braga Favaretto

Design Company
Industrial Shadeports Inc

Fabrication Name
Agustin Perdomo

Fabrication Company
Industrial Shadeports Inc

Project Manager Name
Ashley Revolorio

Project Manager Company
Industrial Shadeports Inc

Installation Name
Ashley Revolorio

Installation Company
Industrial Shadeports Inc

Please describe the project specifications

The Las Olas Tunnel Top Plaza is an approximately 83-foot-long by 36-foot-wide public-space canopy on East Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Located in one of the city's most active pedestrian, dining, and entertainment districts, the plaza was intended to provide a comfortable shaded gathering place while also contributing a distinctive visual element to the streetscape.

Industrial Shadeports was asked to develop a new shade-sail solution after the City's original Roman-sail concept did not perform as intended. The challenge was not simply to add shade, but to create a fabric system that could work with the existing aluminum canopy frame and previously established attachment locations while transforming the structure into a recognizable focal point.

The resulting design uses a repeating geometric composition of square and triangular tensioned-fabric sails. Construction was accomplished in time for South Florida to host the World Cup just down the road in Miami. The 83-foot by 36-foot Red & Blue canopy was organized into two module types, with a total of 50 individual shade sails, to enhance the visual appeal and maximize shade coverage below.

The alternating Denim and Crimson fabrics turn the functional shade system into a coordinated pattern of color and negative space. The red-and-blue palette also gives the installation a strong civic character appropriate to its prominent Las Olas Boulevard setting.

A key part of the solution was adapting the new fabric geometry to the existing aluminum structure. The engineered attachment system uses steel cable tensioning and connection hardware to secure the individual sails to the established frame attachment points. This allowed the new design to work within the constraints of the existing canopy while creating a completely different architectural expression.

The completed project combines shade, geometry, color, and repetition to redefine the Tunnel Top Plaza as both a functional public amenity and a visual destination. Rather than treating the fabric as a single overhead cover, the design uses 50 individually tensioned textile elements as an architectural composition - providing shade while creating a memorable identity for a highly visible public space in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

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