Current Situation and Solution: Medina Square Canopy Design – The World’s Largest Open Roof
After the hajj, many pilgrims visit the Holy Mosque of the Prophet in Medina. Despite two expansions in the second half of the 20th century, the mosque was often understaffed, forcing people to gather in the square in front to pray. So plans to partially cover this outdoor space began soon after the final construction was completed. The Medina Square Canopy, an ingenious umbrella system, was born out of this urgent need. Based on the design for the courtyard of the Prophet's Mosque, SL Rasch has developed a new type of umbrella that features an innovative folding arm system with six hinges and two different heights, allowing their membranes to overlap to create a continuous canopy.
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Technical Requirements Analysis & Solution Context
Covering the large outdoor space outside the Prophet’s Mosque required a roofing solution that was not only durable but also flexible, able to accommodate the large number of pilgrims and the harsh climatic conditions of the area (heat, UV radiation, sand and wind). Traditional solutions often lacked the flexibility to open and close, felt cumbersome and did not blend well with the sacred architecture of the mosque. The need was for a roofing that would provide long-term protection from weather and UV radiation, be stain-resistant, abrasion-resistant, have high tensile strength, and at the same time be soft, flexible, and fold away elegantly to protect against sand and wind, and blend in with the traditional architecture.
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Technical Solutions
The Medina Square canopy is an engineering masterpiece, designed to transform the space flexibly and delicately, meeting the demanding requirements of a sacred site.
Smart umbrella design and structure
SL Rasch has developed a new umbrella with an innovative folding arm system, consisting of six hinges, and designed in two different heights. This allows the membranes of the umbrella to be cleverly overlapped to create a continuous canopy, forming the roof over the Medina. The umbrellas are arranged in groups of two to 15, and the gaps in the main axis allow for unobstructed views of the mosque and minarets, providing orientation for pilgrims. When folded, the membranes are protected from sand and wind by panels made of glass-fiber reinforced composite, decorated with intricate mosaics made of weather-resistant glass tiles, in harmony with the architecture of the mosque.
Superior materials and features
The specially developed Teflon (or PTFE – Polytetrafluoroethylene) fabric of the Medina Square canopy offers outstanding stain and abrasion resistance, as well as the important benefit of high tensile strength. The material is extremely soft, flexible and can be attractively draped. The tapes and seams are highlighted in colour to add a floral quality to the funnel-shaped membranes. In addition to providing long-term protection against weather and UV radiation, the PTFE material is self-cleaning thanks to its smooth surface, which reduces maintenance costs in dusty and sandy environments.
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Results and Performance Evaluation
The Medina Square canopy has created a sheltered space of exquisite architectural quality that can accommodate up to $250,000$ pilgrims. The structure, dubbed the world's largest open roof, has won SL Rasch the generous Abdullatif-Al-Fozan Prize for Mosque Architecture. The play of light created by the translucent membrane dome creates a unique atmosphere, inviting pilgrims to linger, pray and socialize. The flexible conversion of the canopy, combined with the high-quality PTFE material that is stain and abrasion resistant, ensures that the structure functions effectively in harsh environments and maintains its aesthetic beauty over time. The strategic arrangement of the panels also allows for unobstructed views of the mosque, preserving its sacredness while optimizing its community function.
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Contact Technical Consulting
Flexiiform is a professional Tensile Fabric design and construction company in Vietnam. With a team of well-trained and skilled Architects and Engineers, we are proud to be the only unit in Vietnam to receive professional advice from FasTech Company – The leading design and construction company of tensioned fabric structures in Thailand, with nearly 30 years of prestige and experience in the industry and successfully implementing more than 1,000 tensioned fabric projects in Thailand and Southeast Asia. With the strength of creative ideas in tensioned fabric architectural design, along with practical construction methods, Flexiiform is confident to bring the most optimal solutions for each specific project.
If you are looking for a reputable unit to design and construct the Medina Square canopy or similar smart canopy projects, please contact us for in-depth advice. You can also learn more about Teflon (PTFE) fabric and reference Abdullatif-Al-Fozan Award.
Contact information:
Company: Flexiiform
Phone: +84 8678 68830
Website: https://flexiiform.vn/
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