How new engineering materials and techniques are influencing architectural design. From the book by Tony Robbin, Yale University Press, 1996. The Hajj Terminal at the King Abdulaziz International Airport. Since the 1960's, Frei Otto, Horst Berger, and David Geiger championed the idea of using fabrics for architectural structures. Their unassailable argument was that only fabric membranes are truly lightweight, so only membranes are suited to spanning large areas.
Membranes are now strong, permanent, fireproof, and insulated.
In the United States there are more than 250 large, permanent membrane structures, in cold climates as well as warm ones, delivered on schedule and on budget to their occupants, signed off by fire and building inspectors, and insured by companies not known to be cavalier with money. In short, they are buildings. The San Diego Convention Center. Samyn and Partners, architect and engineers. When French engineer Rene Motro built a lightweight, membrane structure in the South of France, trucks brought massive amounts of concrete to the site.