The abundance of natural light creates a welcoming feel to any indoor space. The translucent nature of tensile membranes, combined with their strength and flexibility, make them a superior building product for atriums and skylights.

Whether you choose a bright-white PTFE or PVC material that allows natural light to filter through, or opt for a transparent ETFE structure (a lightweight alternative to a glass), incorporating a membrane atrium or skylight can be an attractive and energy-saving addition to an architectural design.

ETFE is an ideal material for atriums and skylights for 3 key reasons; lightweight construction, high light transmission, and thermal insulation.

1. ETFE films can be highly transparent (from 90% to 95%), allowing natural daylight into a building through a skylight.
2. Using ETFE in a two- or three-layer configuration creates pressurised cushions of air, creating a natural thermal insulation layer. While two- and three-layer applications normally suffice for the Australian climate, our European division, Taiyo Europe recently completed a project in Russia that incorporated a four-layer ETFE atrium roof over the Lakhta Centre.
3. An ETFE cushion roof weighs approximately 1 kg/m2. In comparison, a glass roof can weigh between 15 kg/m2 (6mm) and 25 kg/m2 (10mm). Due to the lightweight nature of ETFE, substructure support systems and concrete foundations can be designed more efficiently.

For more information on why we love ETFE as an atrium and skylight material – read our 10 Benefits of Using ETFE Foil In Architecture.

The glass fibres woven into the core of architectural PTFE membrane provides both its incredible strength and flexibility, but also helps to transmit light.

When used a full cover atrium, or incorporated into a roof as panels, PTFE allows indoor spaces to be filled with soft, glare-free natural light.

MakMax has built a range of interesting membrane atrium and skylight structures, such as incorporating a tensile membrane dome into a shopping centre roof, or adding a barrel vault membrane canopy between two residential buildings helping to add both architecturally interesting features, as well as creating light-wells to flood the atrium with light.