The history of textile in architecture is very old. With the history of human nomad cultures portable dwelling was a key to
survival. Tents are a prime example of vernacular architecture. Light structures are a big part of this. Tents are the first
type of dwellings using textile as a cover. The valued qualities of this contemporary architecture are the lightness, flexibility,
contemporaneity and portability. When the nomadic live style grows smaller more solid dwellings arose. And the use of textile decreases as a façade. It became a second-class material.In historical use of the textile architecture, man worked with
the nature the profited shelter and a liveable indoor climate.
Permanent solid buildings arose, when mankind learned to use the climate and land. They are so durable that nowadays
very old buildings are still in use. Over time buildings were build without any sense of the climate they were in. Installation began to “fix” the defects of the indoor climate. In historical use of the textile architecture, man worked with
the nature the profited shelter and a liveable indoor climate.
Permanent en solid buildings arose, when mankind learned to
use the climate and land. Contemporary
architects are trying more and more to work with nature again, instead of against. Those architects understand that depend-
ence on installations, isn’t the future. Sustainability becomes more important.
Important countries in the textile architecture are Germany,
America, but it were the Japanese who were most at ease with membranes, they see the beauty of the fleeting character and are not afraid of impermanence.
Now more high performance textile are available new functions and different applications of textile in architecture arise.
Textile is defined as a material that keeps its flexibility, while combined with a stiff construction it can be a very strong material. With the need for designs to be more flexible, pressure of reducing material cost, and the requirement of aesthetically and eco-friendly materials have made textile an ideal option for construction. Fabrics made with aramid carbon and glass fibres combined with the strength of composites give civil engineers and architects a new range of material to work with and in contrast to the less weight it bears in building a structure.Textile can be used as a roof, a wall or an overall tent construction, so first it is divided in the different functions; vertical, horizontal or three-dimensional definer
More fabrics are being used in buildings to provide solar protection. By adding textiles in architecture of a building not only can the UV rays be kept at bay but also a shade can be provided. Energy efficiency has also increased the use of textiles. From production and fabrication to the installation of membrane systems a lot of energy can be saved than using conventional concrete structures. Textile also provide a way of letting natural light being harnessed in a building by using translucent materials, thereby saving electricity and being environment friendly.
