An architectural expression material serving design, comfort and performance
High-performance technical textiles now represent a lightweight, durable and highly aesthetic finishing solution, perfectly suited to contemporary architectural façades. Their flexibility, dimensional stability and weather resistance open the door to exceptional design freedom: flat and modular surfaces, curved geometries, fluid volumes or organic envelopes.
They make it possible to create buildings with a strong, modern and harmonious visual identity, perfectly integrated into their environment.
Morphological freedom
Create flat, curved or tensioned surfaces to sculpt the building’s volumetry and generate an almost unlimited palette of architectural forms.
Light control
Play with transparency, translucency, porosity and diffraction to create subtle or spectacular lighting effects. Illuminated from the front or through backlighting, textile façades can glow at night and become true ambient lighting features.
Identity expression
Textures, colours, digital printing and custom mesh patterns make it possible to create unique projects and integrate the façade as a true image and communication tool.
A wide variety of technical textiles
Textile façades rely on a broad range of materials selected according to the project’s aesthetic, functional, environmental and regulatory objectives:
- Waterproof or translucent textiles to modulate light transmission
- Microperforated membranes offering varying levels of porosity, visibility and solar control
- Printable textiles serving as supports for visual communication and branding
- Flexible mesh systems with high mechanical properties, suited for ventilated envelopes and revitalization projects
Depending on the selected membrane, textile façade systems can meet fire-resistance requirements and building codes applicable to public, institutional and commercial buildings.
Types of architectural membranes
PVC: translucent or opaque, wide colour palette, printable
PTFE: exceptional dimensional stability, very high durability
ETFE: high transparency and extreme lightness (approximately 1% of the weight of glass)
Microperforated PVC and PTFE: openness factors from 28% to 52%, fire-retardant options available
Proven tensioning systems for durable architecture
To ensure optimal performance, Sollertia relies on FACID and FTI aluminum profiles — patented, proven and internationally recognized attachment and tensioning systems in the field of textile façades.
Depending on project requirements, we also design fully custom membrane attachment and tensioning systems to meet the most demanding geometric, structural and aesthetic constraints.
A functional façade: protection, comfort and performance
Beyond their aesthetic dimension, textile façades provide several essential functions:
- Protection against rain, wind and solar radiation
- Reduction of solar heat gain, helping to limit cooling requirements
- Creation of privacy zones without blocking natural daylight
- Effective shading and glare control
- Natural ventilation through microperforated membranes
- Improved thermal and visual comfort for occupants
They therefore become true climate-management systems supporting broader building energy-efficiency strategies.
Membrane formats and assembly
The complete prefabrication of membranes and their tensioning systems in the workshop enables fast and safe on-site installation, minimizing field adjustments and shortening overall construction timelines.
Standard formats
Workshop-prefabricated panels up to 2.5 m × 16 m
On-site stretched panels, 2.5 m wide and up to 50 m long without welds and/or mechanical joints (depending on roll lengths)
Custom formats
Workshop assembly of membranes to create very large continuous flat or three-dimensional surfaces, followed by installation on attachment and tensioning systems directly on site.
Assembly
For very large membrane surfaces, fabric widths are assembled in the workshop using radio-frequency welding, ensuring stable long-term performance.
The width and positioning of assembly joints (from ½ in. to 2 in.) are determined according to calculated dimensions and loads and may also contribute to the façade’s aesthetic expression.
Restoration, revitalization and multiple applications
Textile façades are an ideal solution for renovation, rehabilitation and architectural revitalization projects. Lightweight and minimally invasive, these “second skins” can be installed with limited impact on the existing structure.
Aplications
- Cultural and institutional buildings
- Sports facilities and outdoor amphitheatres
- Parking structures and public infrastructure
- Commercial and corporate buildings
Avantages
- Optimal natural ventilation
- Effective solar protection
- Rapid modernization of the building envelope
Durability, maintenance and life cycle
Thanks to their lightweight nature, low material density and high performance, textile façades are fully aligned with sustainable construction practices:
- Reduced structural load requirements for second-skin applications
- Contribution to overall energy performance
- Recyclable textiles (PVC, PTFE, ETFE)
- Recyclable aluminum profiles
- Waste reduction through reuse of membrane offcuts
Architectural membranes also offer the advantage of limited maintenance and excellent durability. If replacement becomes necessary, membranes can be changed quickly without altering the attachment systems or the building structure, thereby extending the life cycle of the envelope.
Future membrane replacement — particularly for branding or communication updates — can be carried out quickly without modifying the profiles or interrupting operations.
Sollertia expertise
Sollertia is a design-build firm specialized in textile architecture, with more than 25 years of experience in the design, analysis, fabrication and installation of lightweight tensile membrane structures.
Our multidisciplinary team supports projects through an integrated approach including:
- Definition of systems and panel sizing
- Wind-load and climatic analysis
- Coordination with engineers and building professionals
- Fabrication of membrane panels, structural elements and on-site installation
We work collaboratively and creatively to transform architectural intent into durable, high-performance and expressive solutions.