Tensile Structure Architecture & Design
The architecture of pre-stressed membrane structures — where form follows tension, the roof is a sculptural surface, and daylight comes through the fabric. Ekra Decor works with architects from concept sketch to form-found, engineered, built structure.
- Form follows tension — a design language
- Sculptural roofs, diffused daylight, low visual mass
- Concept to built structure with architects
- Engineered to IS 875, IS 800 & IS 456
Engineering Trusted by India’s Leading Names
28+ years delivering tensile structures for corporate campuses, industrial groups, and institutional developments — built with fabric technology from the world’s leading membrane manufacturers.
TATA Motors
L&T
Reliance
Adani
Mahindra
Godrej
DLF
ITC Ltd
Maruti Suzuki
GMR Group
JSW Steel
Prestige Group
Sobha
Siemens
Tata Chemicals
Tata Tele Business Services
Power Grid Corporation
Emaar MGF
National Law University Delhi
UPES Dehradun
Vasant Valley School
Aditya Birla Group
Amity University
Vikram Solar
Tractors India
Mazda Colours
Millennium Structurals
Sehwag International School
BSBK Pvt. Ltd.
17 Miles Hotel
Rich Harvest School
The Imperial New Delhi
Moore Constructions
Mehra Construction
Ramprastha
Minda NexGenTech (UNO Minda)
Yashmay Public School
Gyan Mandir Foundation
Omega Developers
SPEC
Serge Ferrari
Mehler
Heytex
Versaid
Pait
The architecture of tension
Tensile architecture is what you get when a roof is designed around the one thing fabric does well — carry pure tension. The forms are not styling; they are the direct, visible result of the forces in the surface. That is also why they are hard to fake and easy to get wrong.
You find the form, you do not draw it
A membrane's shape is the equilibrium surface for its supports and its pre-stress. Move a mast, change a cable, and the whole surface re-forms. The designer works with that — setting the high and low points, the boundary conditions and the tension — and the software resolves the surface. The craft is in choosing supports that give both a good structure and a good shape.
A small vocabulary of forms
Cones and peaks, saddles and hypars, barrel vaults, ridge-and-valley fields, cantilevers. Almost every tensile roof is a combination of these, scaled and joined to suit the plan. The restraint is part of the language.
Sitting with a building
A tensile roof is light, translucent and curved — a deliberate contrast to the heavy, opaque, orthogonal building it usually adjoins. Ekra Decor tunes the curvature, the edge lines and the mast rhythm so the structure reads as a considered response to the architecture rather than a bolt-on.
Engineering is the discipline behind the look
Behind the sculptural surface is IS 875 wind analysis, finite-element membrane modelling, cable and connection design, and factors of safety of 1:5 or more on the fabric. The aesthetics only hold up because the engineering does.
See this applied in custom fabric structures and tensile canopies, or across our completed projects. The fundamentals are on the tensile structure page. Start a conversation about a design.
The architecture of tension
Tensile architecture is not a style applied to a building — it is what a pre-stressed surface looks like when it is doing its job.
Form follows force
A stable membrane has one geometry — the anticlastic saddle. The shapes that read as “tensile architecture” are the shapes the structure wants to take.
Sculptural, not applied
The roof is a surface, not a plane with a decoration on it. Its curvature is structural and visual at the same time.
Daylight through the skin
A translucent membrane makes the roof a light source by day and a reflector by night — the lighting design and the structure are one thing.
Low visual mass
A membrane roof sits lightly against sky and landscape — a large span that does not read as heavy.
This page covers the topic in brief. For the full technical reference — how tensile structures work, all the types, form-finding, membrane materials, design codes and construction process — see the tensile structure guide.
How Ekra Decor works with a design team
We come in early, when the geometry can still be shaped, and stay through to the tensioned, finished structure.
- Concept stage — we take a sketch or a massing model and advise on what geometry is achievable, what spans are efficient, and where the supports and drainage want to be.
- Form-finding — the intent is developed into an equilibrium surface in software, with 3D visuals the design team can present.
- Structural design — cable and membrane stress, steel to IS 800, foundations to IS 456, wind to IS 875 Part 3.
- Coordination — with the architect, the structural consultant, the services engineer and the main contractor.
- Patterning & drawings — the surface is unrolled into cutting patterns; fabrication and installation drawings are issued.
- Fabrication & installation — steel and membrane made in-house; own crew for erection and tensioning.
Membrane options
The membrane is a material choice with an architectural consequence — PVC and PVDF for colour and economy, PTFE for a permanent architectural white, ETFE for near-glass transparency. See the membrane materials page.
PVC-coated polyester
The most economical choice and the widest colour range; blocks the rain, hail and almost all UV. PVC fabric →
PVDF-lacquered PVC
The same base with a tougher top-coat that stays cleaner under dust and pollution. PVDF fabric →
PTFE-coated glass
Non-combustible and near self-cleaning, with the longest service life. PTFE fabric →
A full comparison of the fabrics — translucency, fire class, typical life — is on the membrane materials page.
How it is engineered and built
The governing load
Every architectural gesture is checked as a structure. A taller cone or a deeper cantilever catches more wind; a free-form surface has to be form-found so its pre-stress stays balanced. The engineering does not follow the architecture — they are resolved together.
What limits the form
Span, wind zone, drainage and the position of the supports set the envelope. Within it, the form is open.
Steel & foundations to code
The frame is designed to IS 800 and the footings to IS 456, checked for uplift and overturning. Galvanising to IS 4759 / IS 2629 for corrosion protection.
Built off-site, raised fast
Steel is cut, welded and galvanised in the workshop and the membrane is cut and welded into panels, while the footings are cast on site. On-site work is then quick and low-disruption.
One accountable team
Survey, 3D design, fabrication, installation and tensioning are all Ekra Decor’s own team, with a handover pack of drawings, load report, stability certificate and material certificates.
What drives the cost
Cost is not a fixed rate per square foot — two structures of the same size can differ widely. The main factors:
An architectural project is priced from its own design. Send the concept for a form-finding assessment and an itemised quote; see the cost guide.
Looking after the structure
- Cleaning — a periodic wash; PVDF and PTFE surfaces largely self-clean in rain.
- Membrane & seams — check for abrasion, coating wear and seam lifting at the corners.
- Cable tension — a first re-tension after the initial season, then a periodic check.
- Steel & connections — inspect the galvanising and the connections at ground level.
- Drainage — clear the gutters, valleys and outlets before the monsoon.
Architectural tensile structures we’ve built
Each project is documented with site photographs and recorded scope.
Retail · Courtyard roofVasant Square MallVasant Kunj, New Delhi
Industrial · Single-span roofDesai ConstructionValsad, Gujarat
Transit · Walkway canopyIGI Airport, Terminal 2New Delhi
Industrial · Store-shed roofVikram SolarKolkata, West Bengal
Public · Courtyard shadeHazratbal DargahSrinagar, J&K
Public · Atrium skylightsGuwahati Tensile StructureGuwahati, Assam
Tensile structure architecture FAQ
The questions architects and clients ask about designing with tensile structures.
A pre-stressed membrane has one stable geometry — the anticlastic saddle — so the shapes that read as tensile architecture are the shapes the structure naturally takes. The form is structural and visual at once.
Yes. We take the architectural intent and geometry and develop it into a form-found, engineered, buildable structure, coordinating with the architect and the other consultants.
As early as the concept stage, while the geometry can still be shaped. We advise on achievable spans, efficient forms, and where the supports and drainage want to be.
Span, wind zone, drainage and support positions set the envelope; within it, the form is open. A free-form surface is possible — it just has to be form-found.
Yes — PVC and PVDF give a colour range, PTFE a permanent architectural white, ETFE near-glass transparency. The choice changes how the roof reads and how it lights the space.
It has to be. A translucent membrane makes the roof a light source by day and a reflector at night, so the lighting design and the structure are developed together.
From its own design — there is no rate card. Send the concept for a form-finding assessment and an itemised quote.
Send us the concept
You get a form-finding assessment, a materials direction and an itemised quote.
Let’s Build Your Structure
Speak directly with our structural engineering team to discuss your project dimensions, material options, or to schedule a free on-site technical inspection across India.
Direct Phone & WhatsApp Hotlines
+91 98102 37952 (Delhi HQ) / +91 93159 45187 (Bangalore) / +91 82879 92289 (Engineering)
Official Email Address
Delhi Factory & Administrative HQ
No. 367 Badam Singh Market, Rangpuri, Near Shiv Murti, NH-8, New Delhi 110037
Bangalore Regional Office
93/5, Kada Agrahara Village, Dodda Gubbi Post, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560077, India
Chattarpur Office
House No. 488, 3rd Floor, Khasra No. 60, 100 Futa Road, Opposite Delhi Jal Board, Near Diwan Bajaj Showroom, Chattarpur Pahari, New Delhi - 110074, India
Request Itemized Price Quote
Fill in your requirements below for an instant engineering assessment & 3D estimate.