Overview

Mr N Condliffe, Head Teacher at the new state of the art College in Manchester wanted to create a covered amphitheatre for outdoor school performances. The amphitheatre, located in an internal courtyard, has an adjacent building cladded in bright green - the perfect backdrop for the stage.

Having seen the range of new Signature Structure performance canopies, Denton College decided on a pair of matching 5m x 5m Flying Conics.  The Flying Conic is a new product in the range of ready to install tensile structures. This product is a unique design featuring a flying raised conic on one side – it’s fun, functional, and unique - adding a wow factor to the space.

With this being an internal courtyard, access was limited - making the installation a bit challenging. All steel work and canopies needed to be brought in through the building on Pipe Trolleys versus Telehandlers. Installation Engineers positioned the pair of Flying Conics over the seating steps in a way where both ‘raised conic’ tops ‘came together’ to create an upward central focal point for the space.

The result is a stunning new permanent amphitheatre which ticked all of the Colleges boxes – including working within a tight budget. One added benefit is that the space can now be hired out for community fetes – allowing structures to now pay for themselves.

Special thanks to Carillion for their support with the project.

Simon Schofield of Carillion adeed; “I thought Fabric Architecture handled the installation in a professional, competent and proactive manner. The provision of the Solashades has added intimacy and protection and improved this already excellent external performance environment, which can be enjoyed by the College and the wider community”.