Red Bull Arena Features Tensile Roof and Cladding Systems from Birdair, Inc.

Birdair, Inc., the leading specialty contractor of lightweight long-span roofing systems and tensile structures throughout the world, has completed its work on the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. Birdair engineered, fabricated and installed the tensioned membrane roof and facade cladding systems for this new world-class athletic facility.

Central to Red Bull Arena’s sleek new contemporary, European-style design are its roof and exterior cladding systems. With a range of experience in long-span tensile membrane roofing systems around the world, Birdair was selected as the project’s specialty roofing contractor under a design-build contract to engineer, fabricate and install the athletic facility’s roof and cladding systems.

“Birdair was able to offer several tensioned membrane solutions to the architect and construction manager, taking on the role of engineering, fabricating and installing the fabric roof and facade cladding systems,” explains Martin Augustyniak, Director of Operations for Birdair, Inc. “As a result and due to the success of value engineering, Birdair was successfully awarded the Red Bull Arena project.”

The roof and facade incorporated three different types of architectural fabric membrane. These include FEP-coated PTFE mesh on the stadium roof’s leading edge, silver metallic colored PTFE glass on the roof and upper facade and silver metallic-colored PTFE glass mesh on the lower facade. PTFE, or polytetrafluoroeethylene, is a coated woven fiberglass membrane that is extremely durable and weather resistant. PTFE is capable of withstanding temperatures from -100°F to +450°F, immune to UV rays, waterproof and flame resistant. In total, approximately 322,276 square feet of fabric forms the tensioned membrane roof and facade systems.

Red Bull Arena’s translucent roofing system functions as the largest roof canopy of all Major League Soccer Stadiums, providing covered seating for all 25,000 attendees. The curving roof structure, with tapered bent trusses, elegantly wraps the stadium in a curved, shell-like design. The roof extends from its leading edge over the entire seating bowl and then curves down to the concourse, extending from the last seat to just over the field’s touchlines.

In addition to promoting maximum views, the roof’s open-air design and high degree of translucency will provide fans with a variety of other benefits, including ample natural daylighting, maximum airflow, solar shading and overhead protection from unfavorable weather conditions.

Construction on Red Bull Arena began in January 2008, with full project completion slated for 2010.

Birdair crews began work on the roof and facade portions in April 2009, with roof and facade construction completed in September 2009.

In addition to Birdair serving as the specialty roofing contractor, Rossetti Architects (Southfield, MI and El Segundo, CA) served as project architect, while the firm Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor, LLC (Warren, NJ), served as the project engineer. Hunter Roberts Construction Group, (Bedminster, NJ) was the project’s construction manager. Red Bull New York, Inc. (Secaucus, NJ) is the facility owner.

To date, Birdair has completed work on 70 sports facilities globally, incorporating tensile architecture into a variety of single-sport and multi-purpose stadiums and arenas.