Stirling design specialists, tensARC Ltd, has provided a cutting edge motorised roof for the 2008 Olympic equestrian venue at Shatin Race course in Hong Kong.

Working with a small team of UK companies, the team designed, manufactured and delivered the 300m2 'clam shell' roof in just seven months.

As experts in tensile fabric architecture and deployable structures, tensARC's work has been used at venues across Scotland and the rest of the UK, prior to exporting their designs to China.

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As John and Michael Whitaker and the rest of the team perform at the main equestrian arena, the fabric roof will provide shelter for the world media as it covers all of the action.

However, if a tropical cyclone warning signal were to be raised during the olympics or paralympics, then as soon as the stand was evacuated nine electric motors would fold the entire structure like a clam shell to protect both the roof and any equipment left underneath.

tensARC was formed in 2002 as a spin out from Dundee University and a DTI funded project to develop temporary stadium roofing for the 21st century. They work closely with specialist manufacturers like Owen Sails of Oban, and together innovate in the design and manufacturing of tensile structures, in order to create cutting edge viable solutions. And as a result, this team is primed and ready to respond quickly to opportunities like this.

(GK/JM)