From the hurried passers-by who “stopped to refuel and use the toilet” to the “internet-famous landmarks” that people are willing to stop, take photos and share today, the role of service areas is quietly changing before our eyes.
And all these upgrades are prominently reflected in the two stunning “blue whales” at the Cheung Sha Wan Service Area.
The Cheung Sha Wan Service Area is the largest Marine culture-themed service area in eastern Guangdong. With the design concept of “Fish leaping in the deep west of Shanwei and chasing the waves in Changsha Bay”, it integrates the profound Marine culture and historical heritage of Shanwei into every corner.
Here, you can enjoy the grand stage and intangible cultural heritage performances in the north area, and experience the coastal charm in the seafood market and marine-themed homestays in the south area. The regular performances of intangible cultural heritage activities such as white character Opera and fisherman’s songs have brought local culture to life, making it a dynamic window that can be experienced and perceived.
The “visual core” and “technical challenge” of all these experiences lies in the giant “blue whale” swimming above the service area – the ETFE air-cushion membrane structure canopy constructed by Yexing.
This “blue whale” is a blue net-like canopy covering the two main buildings. It is the most eye-catching sight in the service area and also one of the biggest technical challenges during its construction.
As the contractor of this membrane structure canopy, Yexing is responsible for its detailed design and construction installation. This task is extremely challenging
Complex design: The canopy is a complex hyperbolic surface structure, with an extended area of over 10,000 square meters, a highest point of 31 meters, and a longest span of 140 meters.
Extremely high precision requirements: We apply digital pre-assembly technology, in conjunction with high-precision equipment such as total stations, to precisely measure and position tens of thousands of components. Just like assembling a giant model, we ensure that each “scale” is precisely in place, guaranteeing the stability and safety of the overall structure.
Selecting New Materials: The “Green” and “Smart” of a Sky Curtain
In addition to exquisite craftsmanship, the selection of materials is also of vital importance. This “blue whale” skin is made with a new type of environmentally friendly ETFE air pillow mask.
Compared with traditional roofs, it has many advantages:
Ultimate lightness and safety: With a weight of only 1% of the same glass and a melting point as high as 200℃, it offers superior safety.
Ultra-high light transmittance and energy conservation: The maximum light transmittance can reach up to 95%, which can maximize the introduction of natural light and effectively save lighting energy consumption.
Outstanding toughness: High tensile strength, sufficient to withstand all kinds of complex weather conditions.
It is precisely these features that make the “Blue Whale” canopy not only present artistic light and shadow effects visually, but also essentially become a model of energy-saving, intelligent and sustainable green buildings.
#tensile fabric roof structures #tensile structure fabric material #Architectural Membrane
She has over 20 years of experience in tensile membrane structure design, engineering, and manufacturing, with extensive expertise in delivering custom solutions for commercial and architectural projects.
