Sculptural Fabric Ceiling: AL Project Office

• Each panel was hand cut to a unique shape
• Using mesh created the Moire effect which helps to keep the ceiling feeling light and airy

Once a sewing room at the side of our large tensile membrane factory, the space has now been transformed into a modern office with a beautiful Ripple Fabric Ceiling System that reflects our creativity, imagination and personality.

The centre piece for the office design is the undulating fabric ceiling. Made up of pieces of PVC coated polyester mesh suspended using aluminium extrusion, each panel was hand cut to create a unique shape. Combined with colour changing lighting around the perimeter and large halo lights suspended in between the fabric panels, the overall effect is striking.

The fabric ceiling was designed to reflect what we do as a company, our creativity and to provide inspiration to our visiting clients. An unusual use for fabric, we wanted to show another way in which the materials of tensile architecture could be integrated to improve the aesthetics and performance of an internal space. The varied shape of the fins produces an eye-catching form and the use of mesh creates the Moiré effect which adds to the lightness and effervescent quality of the ceiling.

However, as well as improving the look and feel of the space, the fabric ceiling serves a number of practical purposes:

• It conceals the otherwise boring plasterboard ceiling above
• The fabric helps to soften the acoustics of the space to improve the general ambience of the office
• The rippling fabric provides an interesting form for our colour changing lighting

Now a fully functional office space, the team are thrilled with their new working environment and the fabric membrane ceiling is the first thing that visitors comment on when welcomed in. We hope our creative approach to using fabric will inspire others to think of other new and exciting ways to use fabric in an interior setting.