The development and upgrade of CETA (Central Energy Trust Arena) in Palmerston North is long term ever evolving project for Palmerston North City Council. By doing these upgrades, they’re hoping to increase the participation in sports and recreation in the city by creating sporting facilities that are able to host a number of events and activities.

Shade Systems were approached by a local architect that was employed to manage the CETA development. The architect had been dealing with another tensile membrane company, however with project budgets running tight they needed to value engineer the design. They decided to consider further options. Our design team made some simple changes, which resulted in a design that looked the same but costs were significantly reduced. One of the key change was the roofing material from EFTE to PVC membrane.

As we were covering the ticketing area at the plaza entrance, where community will queue before entering the complex, it was important that the whole area would be waterproof. The initial design had 4 stand alone structures, meaning that water could pour through in between each umbrella. Shade Systems design and engineer team’s expertise adjusted the design, to create an “inverted conic” membrane as a one-piece PVC structure. This had multiple complexities but ensures no pooling, maximum tension and coverage through out.

The inverted umbrella design is a first for Shade Systems. Something the team has been interested in creating and this gave us the opportunity to trial, with a successful result. It provides a welcoming and attractive entrance into Central Energy Trust Arena.