Dadong Art Center

The Kaohsiung region is the economic hub in the south of Taiwan. And forming part of the cultural heart of the region is the Dadong Art Center, with theatre, exhibition hall and Art Education Center. The complex, currently under construction, links the historical city of Fengshan with the river of the same name and a park. Intensive use of public spaces is characteristic of Taiwan’s towns and cities. A membrane roof between the individual buildings of the complex creates a covered outdoor area for activities such as dancing, Tai Chi or even various games.

The roof is made up of 11 individual sections, each reminiscent of an upside-down umbrella. They protect the open areas against extreme weather conditions such as tropical cyclones, the periodic heavy rainfall and high temperatures. But the roof also provides shade and helps to control the climate: hot air can escape upwards and as it does so it draws in a flow of cool, fresh air. Large openings at the low points channel rainwater into the fountains below. seele covertex fabricated and delivered a total of 6414 m2 of PTFE film for the roof. Each individual section is essentially rectangular in shape, with the length of the longest side measuring 37 m. The diameter of the circular openings varies between 8 and 10 m at the low points. At the top the membrane is fixed to a steel framework, at the bottom the roof elements are connected to a ring beam which at the same time prestresses the PTFE membrane. It was the extensive expertise of seele covertex in the areas of design, production and erection that enabled the cutting pattern of the PTFE material, which is crucial for the geometrical transition from rectangle to circular hopper, to be fabricated so accurately.