Covers: The Tent + Tensile Architecture

Abstract

Beyond clothing the simplest form of protection used by people to protect them from the climatic adversity is the tent. These tensile structures have evolved through history in response to the various climatic, social, technological, economic and cultural influences. It could be said that the Tents were the initial built forms that triggered the idea of more permanent structures from the draped fiber mats to mud, then later bricks and stone buildings. There is a strong, mutually dependent relationship between technological development and social & cultural expectations, with each having the potential to inform and shape the other. For centuries, tents implied use by nomads or have been perceived as fragile, mobile, temporary structures even today. The thesis inquires into the enormous possibilities of optimal & sensible use of materials, selection of forms with respect to tensile covers and an evaluation of their various possible applications in the current architectural world. The aim of this study is to trace the interface between protected and unprotected space, and an exploration of future envelopes. Historical precedents are important as they are the sources from which we learn about similar spatial qualities, and also about differences. This thesis offers a brief overview of the history of tents, the types of unique forms used & a brief overview of the construction methods practiced in relation to climatic influences on design & materials used in structure. The study also aims to explore the architectural qualities of tensile structures, their wider applications as enclosed buildings and their use in our day to day lives. The values of western architecture are usually seen as permanence, solidity and durability. This thesis argues the value of the tent usually seen as temporary, only for use for certain unique occasions. The intention behind the research is to show that tensile covers are also a form of architecture with sinuous curves and angles with a wide range of applications from a play house to a stadium, accommodating a child’s play to tens of thousands of people at the trade fairs. It argues the architecture is feasible, although subversive of other architectural forms built until now. It also makes an effort to highlight their inherent characteristics which are different from that we are used to in a more solid architecture.