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09/12/2008 - Architectural competition for textile construction
‘I Prêmio Valmex® Structure 2007’ competition in Brazil staged by Mehler Texnologies
The entrants invited to take part in this competition were architects, structural engineers and students. Their task was to submit designs or details of projects already underway that illustrate the possibilities of building with textiles. All of the work submitted had to feature so-called ‘tent-like constructions’.
Textile construction is now an integral part of contemporary architecture. Increasing numbers of architects are recognising and utilising the diverse possibilities of technical textiles, known as membranes. These have established themselves alongside the classic materials of stone, wood, steel and glass as a fifth major material. The advantages of membranes are clear: they are aesthetically pleasing, lightweight and economical.
The competition was organised by Mehler Texnologies, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of technical textiles. The German company, based in Hückelhoven near Düsseldorf, has been represented for many years in Brazil by Marketexport Comércio Internacional Ltda. Thomaz Schetty, the proprietor of Martketexport, thus also played a leading role in organising the competition. Numerous applicants presented undreamt of possibilities in textile architecture to structural engineer Rita Bose, who works closely with Marketexport, vying eagerly to take part in the competition. The submitted works thus also feature many varied applications and shapes, from the covering of a playground to an entire stadium.
The experts recruited for the jury included Professor Bernd Baier, lecturer in lightweight construction at the University of Essen-Duisburg in Germany. The variety and quality of the entries did not make it easy to reach a quick decision. For besides the function of each project and the feasibility of its technical implementation, its originality was also assessed. It is therefore no surprise that it was with an experimental project that the winner of the competition, Sra. Eliana Ferreira Nunes, gained the jury’s top marks. Sra. Nunes is a student of architecture at the Federal University of Ouro Preto. As her prize, she received a trip to Germany.
The competition showed clearly that the possibilities of textile construction in terms of creativity and application are far from exhausted. The beauty of these buildings, plus not least the affordability of erecting them, will continue to encourage the spread of textile architecture.
Bottom row: Sra. Eliana Ferreira Nunes (2nd from right) between Rita Bose and Thomaz Schetty
 
The award-winning project by Sra. Eliana Ferreira Nunes
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