‘Waikerie Dome’ Bowling Green Canopy
Project Details
Location: Waikerie, South Australia
Completion Date: July 2021
Size: 3450 sqm
Fabric: PVC - Mehler FR900N
Client: Waikerie Bowling Club
Photography: © Drew Lenman Photography
Located two hours from Adelaide, the “Waikerie Dome” is the newest architectural addition to the Waikerie region. MakMax Australia designed and constructed a double-green high-translucency PVC canopy to protect bowlers from the heat and weather conditions, improving playing comfort all year round.
The Brief
Growing in membership over the past decade, Waikerie Bowling Club chose to invest in a tensile membrane bowling green canopy covering two bowling greens. The club firmly believed the addition of “The Dome” would increase membership, improve playing conditions under the hot sun, and allow for bigger state-level bowling competition to be held in Waikerie.
Waikerie Bowling Club received support from club members, local council and the Government’s Building Better Regions Fund to build the UV-protective shade structure.
The Concept
The “Waikerie Dome” is a MakMax Loggerhead (Vertical Arched Peak Design) Bowling Green Canopy that provides cover for double bowls green. The design also features a vertical mesh screen at one end to provide additional player protection for the western side.
The Helios light droppers provides a diffuse average 300 LUX light level to the playing surface while simultaneously lighting the canopy to provide an iconic architectural structure at night.
The Materials
The 3450 sqm meter dome that covers Waikerie’s double bowling greens allows year-round utilization of the bowling greens, irrespective of the weather conditions. Bowler’s can also enjoy night bowling under “The Dome” which is lit with state-of-the-art LED sports lighting.
The main bowling green canopy is created with Mehler FR900N, a premium quality PVC fabric with PVDF coating. The white PVC membrane was chosen for its lightweight and flexible properties, the ability to provide a uniform 8% translucency (approx) to optimise natural lighting and provide very good resistance to harmful UV rays. The fabric’s highly-concentrated Nano-particle PVDF surface treatment is naturally dirt-resistant and the self-cleaning properties protect the canopy membrane against atmospheric conditions.
The protective screen on the western end is designed and constructed with HDPE Mesh (shade cloth).
The Result
Waikerie Bowling Club are extremely satisfied with their new Dome cover and are seeing great responses from members and the community. The new Bowling Green Canopy is attracting more people to the club and invites bigger competitions to the region. It has provided a boost to the club with bowling all year long and night bowling under “The Dome”.
“The Dome over our 2 Greens has exceeded our expectations and making play much more comfortable in very hot weather. We are the envy of bowling clubs in the Riverland and Country areas. The ambience that the Dome has created is amazing. It has brought the Club together and has given the club a new lease of life to the extent that all 4 divisions of Saturday Pennants were in the Grand Finals this year.” – Grant Hall, Green’s Manager.
Read more about this project in this ABC News article.
