Heritage Hotel Canopy

As part of a heritage hotel’s renovation, an amphitheater is being built in the central courtyard. The design includes a radial canopy, integrating acoustic backing, speakers, and timber battens. My work involved parametric modeling of the 26m diameter structure, generating CNC toolpaths, and producing fabrication drawings.

Scope of Work

Rationalize the form derived from the unique shape of the iconic courtyard.

Build a support system for the soffit cladding, split into units that can be fastened to the steel structure.

Produce spreadsheets and drawings for producing and assembling timber battens on the supports.

The form of the canopy had to be curved accurately in order to fit perfectly within an existing structure.

The surface of the form pillows up in the middle and flattens out at the ends, further adding complexity to the design.

Nearly all the battens are bent to an arc in-situ. These batten arcs are supported and kept in shape by clips that attach them to an array of radial supports.

Due to this, each batten arc will exert a reactive force to being bent, which compounds to a large force that must be accounted for in the supports design.

Support lengths are also split up into multiple pieces that can each fit in the CNC and material limits, while also providing a strong joint for rigidity.

Producing over 1200 unique pieces, each etched with a tag and level reference markers.

The CNC manufacturing process included a drill pass to mark the precise location each clip needs to be attached to.

Etchings on the ends of each piece are used to level and align them.

A black acoustic foam sheet is used as a backing material to conceal an array of speakers, lighting and other services.

The solid timber battens are produced straight - they are bent in-situ and installed in tension onto clips. There are over 3000 clips attaching the solid timber battens to the support structure, bearing a force in excess of 7000 N (enough force to push a car).