Stratford Borough Council undertook the task of improving the aesthetics of a multi storey car park in the centre of the busy London borough. Consulting architects, Agenda, were tasked with the project and approached Architen Landrell to price for the design, manufacture and installation of 11 fabric sails fixed to the side of the building.

Offering a competitive price and decades of experience in the tensile fabric industry, they awarded the contract to Architen Landrell over stiff competition. Working closely with the architect, the project team developed the design of the sails, considering both manufacture and installation along the way.

The choice of fabric to create the sculptures was a simple one. As the sails are positioned in an external environment and they required up-lighting, they were well suited to PVC coated polyester one of the most economical and durable fabrics we use. The sculptures were created by cladding a steel frame in the PVC coated polyester and fitted directly to the building wall.

The busy location of the site meant that installation was not as straightforward as it could have been. There was no room for on site for the sails to be assembled so they had to be transported to site ready for installation. All external work to the building was carried out using cranes in order to minimize disruption to the street below.

Although part of a larger scheme to improve the building, the fabric sails are by far the most striking. Lit from below using LED colour changing lighting, the fabric allows the sails to glow from the inside out to create a warm and inviting environment. An iconic structure for an otherwise mundane car park building, the fabric features make this area stand out from the crowd!