Darwin Tennis Centre Canopies
Project Details
Location: Darwin, NT
Completion Date: April 2018
Size: 3750sqm
Fabric: PVC Mehler FR1000N / HDPE Mesh Gale Pacific Commercial Heavy 430
Client: Haikos Construction for Tennis NT
The Darwin Tennis Centre Canopies project by MakMax features two great examples of our TensorSport and TensorSport-Max canopies for tennis courts. Making use of different fabrics and canopy shapes, each court canopy has been designed to offer different benefits.
The Brief
The purpose of the project at the Darwin International Tennis Centre (previously known as MarraraTennis Centre) was to design, fabricate and install 2 fabric roof structures that would ensure a good playing and viewing experience for competitors and spectators at a tennis centre that plans to host future National and International events.
The tennis centre required two different shade solutions, one weatherproof shelter to cover the Main Show Court and its associated seating; and another, smaller shade shelter over a multi-purpose court.
The whole design of the Darwin Tennis Centre canopies had to take into consideration the cyclonic nature of the region. The structural design also had to consider lighting for both the court and stands.
The Concept
The main show court is a long spanning roof, covering a 60m x 50m space. Given the cyclonic location, this presented additional design challenges throughout the project.
The large lightweight canopy covering the main court required a detailed engineering analysis of the steel erection sequence to ensure that no parts of the structure were overloaded during the installation works. Several sequences were proposed and analysed before we settled on the procedure that best suited the steel riggers and the requirements imposed by the site conditions.
The very large fabric panels of the show court required careful management during deployment, due to the NT ‘wet season’. In March 2018, Cyclone Marcus hit Darwin halfway through the installation and the team had to stop work and prepare for the storm. The un-fixed fabric panels were secured to the steel in bundles and carefully wrapped with tarpaulins that successfully prevented any damage to the membrane.
The Materials
The two Darwin Tennis Centre Canopies have a total plan covered area of over 3,750m2, with Mehler FR1000N being used on the Main Court and Gale Pacific’s Commercial Heavy 430 on the Multipurpose Court.
Due to its tropical location, the Mehler FR1000N PVC fabric selected for the Main Court structure was chosen for its combination of high-translucency, strength and ability to resist the harsh tropical climate.
The Multi-Purpose Court structure used Gale Pacific’s HDPE Architectural Shade Fabric – Commercial Heavy 430, due to it’s strength and ability to provide shade and UV protection, while still allowing natural light through to the court. The supporting structure was however designed to handle solid PVC loadings, should the tennis centre choose at a later date to upgrade to a waterproof membrane.
The original design brief required the drainage system to have a minimum visual impact. As there are virtually only 4 locations available to support the downpipes, a conventional drainage system would have incorporated very large downpipes to accommodate the watershed from the wide fabric roof. The solution to this problem was to utilise a purpose designed syphonic system.
The Result
Designed to provide shade for the players without restricting sunlight, while being able to resist the intense weather events in the area, the Darwin Tennis Centre Canopies ensure a great playing and viewing experience for the competitors and spectators. Eye catching and unique, the sports court canopies at the Darwin International Tennis Centre help to create world class facilities able to service national and international events.
