Company:
Sollertia Inc.

Project Details

Fabric 1

Alphalia Silent Aw
Producer/Manufacturer: Serge Ferrari North America Inc.
Primary Use: Main Fabric


Engineer Name 1
Jérôme Noël (membrane); XXXXXX

Engineer Company 1
Sollertia Inc. (membrane and tensioning system); Scène Éthique (main structure)

Design Name
Laurent Monnier (Studio PHI); Philippe Gravel (Sollertia Inc. - fabric wall technical design)

Design Company
Studio PHI; Sollertia Inc. (fabric wall technical design)

Fabrication Name
Karenne Janson-Le Bel (fabric assembly); Sébastien Duchesne (main structure); Yvan Martin (tensioning system)

Fabrication Company
Sollertia Inc. (fabric assembly); Scène Éthique (main structure); Entreprises RYM (tensioning system)

Project Manager Name
Marie-Claude LeBlanc (fabric wall); Sébastien Duchesne (main structure)

Project Manager Company
Sollertia Inc. (fabric wall); Scène Éthique (main structure)

Installation Name
Cédrick J. Lebel (fabric wall)

Installation Company
Sollertia Inc. (fabric wall)


Please describe the project specifications

Studio PHI’s immersive project, The Infinite, is an unforgettable 60-minute journey into outer space where several mediums (virtual reality, augmented reality and projections) collide with exceptional realism in an experience aboard the International Space Station. This large-scale architectural installation is set to be a nomadic exhibit which will be presented in 3 or 4 different North American museums this year.

For this mandate, we were in charge of conceiving and manufacturing the tensile fabric walls for the lobby and entrance of the exhibit. These mobile fabric walls are large surfaces onto which various white angled light schemes can bounce and dance, welcoming and attracting visitors towards this portal into another dimension. The walls measure 9.5 m x 5.72 m (31’2” x 18’9”) and 21.6 m x 5.72 m (70’10” x 18’9”), representing a total surface area of 177.89 square metres (1913.13 square feet).

Our client, Studio PHI, was looking to create a grandiose, distinguished and highly technological environment for a show that would attract large audiences. The entire set had to be designed bearing in mind the mobile nature of the exhibit. Visual and structural lightness, as well as ease and speed of assembly and disassembly were essential considerations throughout the decision-making process.

Vaguely inspired by science-fiction, the client was aiming for a clearly futuristic aesthetic language for the show’s entrance, but with a timeless, non-literal inclination. To this effect, creating perfectly smooth and seamless surfaces was key, the walls serving mainly as a tool for capturing, carrying and sculpting light.

Our team was in charge of conducting studies for the technical conception of the walls of the show’s entrance, supplying the membrane and rigging systems, and their final installation. The client was looking for an impeccable, streamlined and mysterious portal, that would fascinate and readily draw in audiences.

Since The Infinite is going to be a nomadic exhibit, its building materials had to be resistant to the wear and tear inherent to life on the road. A durable, high-performance and highly resistant tensile membrane was used for the project.


What is unique or complex about the project?

The entrance of The Infinite is a stunning portal into the exhibit, enticing audience members to “walk towards the light” into the immersive experience. The unforgiving nature of the smooth membrane in its interactions with light was the principal challenge. The huge size of the textile walls which are illuminated by skirting light schemes that capture and exaggerate even the mildest imperfections and magnifying the faintest crease, called for extreme meticulousness. Much thought and energy went into the development of structures and rigging systems that would create very large, ultra smooth and blemish-free textile surfaces. In order to ensure a perfectly smooth and flat membrane, each and every joint had to be sealed with great meticulousness using radio-frequency.

Another difficulty of this project was its nomadic nature. Creating an environment that would be mobile – light, compact, easy and quick to set up and tear down – while at the same time honouring its monumental quality, represented quite the challenge. The final result is a magnificent, monumental and perfectly seamless design. The impeccable finish of the entrance and its breathtaking purity which is devoid of any writing or graphics whatsoever, beautifully evokes the vacuum of space, enticing audiences to take part in this otherworldly experience. The selected tensile membrane has the ideal finish for an impeccable result, reacting to light in a way that exactly translates the visualized conception imaging.

The client is very happy with the final outcome, as the tensile fabric walls we created perfectly reproduce the effect they were seeking. The abstract and immaculately smooth surfaces reflect a pure and minimalist set design gesture.

The show, which premiered on July 21st, has been selling out every day since its opening and is showing no signs of slowing down. Despite some inevitable technical glitches needed to be sorted out in the first days, audiences have been thrilled with their experience. The exhibit is ongoing until November 7th, before being moved to Houston, TX for its following tour dates.

We are very proud of our collaboration with Studio PHI for the creation of this important set design which strikingly welcomes audiences, exciting the senses with a touch of mystery, into an unforgettable immersive experience.


Content is submitted by the participant. IFAI is not responsible for the content descriptions of the IAA award winners.