Overview

Founded in 1670, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh has been growing and studying plants for over 330 years, with the mission of “Growing and explaining the world of plants for a better future.” A multi-million pound expansion of the gardens paved the way for a new tensile structure to be installed on site.

The goal was to cover a large outdoor plant retail area, while at the same time not hindering the growth of the wide variety of plants underneath. Fabric Architecture offered up a solution consisting of eight Inverted Conics covering a space of 24m x 16m.

The original design incorporated a steel beam around the perimeter. As well as being more costly, this solid edge interrupted the organic fabric forms. The chosen cable edge solution maintains the lightweight feel of the structure, as well as keeping within budget. Fabricated as a single piece membrane, the canopy was laid out on site before installation of the steel supports and within a day the canopy was lifted into position. Large hoppers beneath each cone catch the rainwater run-off and feed it through the supporting masts.
 
These particular canopies were constructed from Solar Glass Weave, which is a fabric that Fabric Architecture pioneered as part of its commitment to sustainability and ‘Going Green’. What makes SGW unique is that it actually blocks out UVB and UVC rays. Solar Glass Weave transmits UVA, which actually promotes plant growth.