All categories
TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026
This combined symposium Shaping the pathway to future tensioned membrane design will be held from 30th September – 2nd October 2026 at the Institute for Metal and Lightweight Structures, Campus Essen. Website link. Email tensinet-ems2026@uni-due.de
Three main topics:
Design, Modelling and Simulation of Structural Membranes
Structural membranes are lightweight and efficient solutions for architectural applications in roof or façade structures. Their complex load-bearing material behaviour requires advanced design approaches, computational modelling, and simulation techniques to optimise performance and durability. Innovative solutions have to be developed integrating different materials, structural analysis, and digital tools to push the boundaries of contemporary membrane structures.
- Administrative Regulations in Europe
- Material Modelling and Testing Procedures
- Numerical Methods and Formfinding
Materials and Execution
The selection of materials and type of execution are crucial for ensuring the performance, durability, and efficiency of structural systems. Advances in material science, fabrication techniques, and construction processes play a key role in optimising the structural behaviour and sustainability. Innovative materials and manufacturing technologies as well as best practices in execution are needed to enhance the quality and reliability of membrane projects.
- Construction Methods
- New Materials
- Execution Procedures
Sustainability and Building Physics
Sustainable building design integrates energy efficiency, material recycling, and environmental impact reduction to create resilient and responsible structures. Building physics plays a key role in optimizing thermal performance and comfort while ensuring energy efficiency. The use of recyclable materials reduces waste and promotes circular construction practices, while fire safety considerations ensure compliance with regulations and enhance occupant protection. The balance between sustainability, safety, and performance has to be enhanced to advance the future of eco-friendly and resilient buildings.
- Climate Impact / Shading of Places
- Life-Cycle Assessment / Recycled Materials
- Fire safety
Confirmed Keynote speakers
- Roberto Canobbio, Canobbio Textile Engineering, Italy - La mia vita, una passione per le membrane (My life, a passion for membranes
- Marc Gabriel, Werner Sobek, Germany - Shading of places
- Abigall Matthews, Momentum Engineering, UK - Membranes and rapid build entertainment venues - balancing lightweight forms with acoustic requirement
- Christoph Paech, schlaich bergermann partner, Germany - Durability assessment and enhancement of membrane structures
- Farid Sahnoune, Serge Ferrari Group, France - Fire safety of textile
- Bernd Stimpfle, formTL, Germany - Membranes refreshed
- Natalie Stranghöner / Dr. Jörg Uhlemann, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Germany - Advancements in testing, modelling and standardization of structural membrane
- Alessandra Zanelli, Politecnico di Milano, Italy - Membrane as sunlight controller: The crucial role of textile architecture in cultural heritage protection
Open Access Proceedings & Awards
Accepted symposium papers will be published by Wiley – online library, see link. Every paper will have an own DOI. Notice also the Young Engineers Awards TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026. We encourage young researchers and practitioners, structural designers and architects, as well as students to participate in the TensiNet Symposium 2026 & Essener Membranbau Symposium 2026 Young Engineers Awards. The best papers will be published in a peer-reviewed journal! For more information and the terms and conditions, see https://www.uni-due.de/iml/te26-id12.php
Call for sponsoring
There is the opportunity to sponsor the symposium. There are 4 categories with corresponding benefits: Platinum sponsorship for 4000€; Gold for 3000€; Silver for 2000€ and Copper for 1000€. See link
Brussels - 2003: Designing Tensile Architecture
Milano - 2007: Ephemeral Architecture: Time and Textiles
Sofia - 2010: Tensile Architecture: Connecting Past and Future
Istanbul - 2013: [RE]THINKING Lightweight Structures
Newcastle - 2016: Novel structural skins - Improving sustainability and efficiency through new structural textile materials and designs. E-book proceeding
Milan - 2019: Softening the Habitats: Sustainable Innovations in Minimal Mass Structures and Lightweight Architectures. E-book proceeding
Nantes – 2023:Membrane architecture: the seventh established building material. Designing reliable and sustainable structures for the urban environment. E-book proceeding
You can order the proceedings of the previous symposia.
Announcements & Reports
Leader: Marijke Mollaert
Mission: The aim of this WG is to develop the Technical Specifications for the Design of Membrane Structures. Finally the objective is to establish a Eurocode for Membranes structures.
Publication SAP report: if intererested, please contact info@tensinet.com
Documents for the WG Specifications
Announcement
CANCELLED VIII LATIN AMERICAN SYMPOSIUM OF TENSILE STRUCTURES
The eight Latin American Symposium of Tensile Structures will be held at the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism of the University of Buenos Aires, between 14th and 16th October 2024.
Organizers
Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism of the University of Buenos Aires (FADU UBA)
Faculty of Architecture of the Interamerican Open University (UAI).
The management is being resolved between WAGG, the Vice dean of the FADU Arq. Walter Gómez Diz, and the dean of the UAI Arq. Glory Ten.
A series of activities
Among its 2024 activities, FADU has two events that bring together a large audience: academic, professional, and students, and that they want to organize together with VIII Latin American Tensile structure Symposium in the same October week:
- ARQUISUR, Congress of the Association of Public Schools and Faculties of Architecture of South America, which will take place between 16th and 18th October where academics and professionals are the main attendants.
- CRETA, Regional Congress of Technology in Architecture that will take place between 15th and 17th October, where students, teachers and professionals are the main attendants.
For this reason, VIII Latin American Tensile structure Symposium will take place between 14th and 16th October, within the same week. Additionally, the IMS Bauhaus will launch an intensive course of tensile structures after SLTE VIII on 17th and 18th October that will be taught at the same University.
This combination of events proposes a synergy of attendance related to technologies applied to architecture where VIII Latin American Tensile structure Symposium will focus on Tenso structures and their contribution to sustainable architecture.
Symposium
Topics related to design, project, calculation, engineering, manufacturing and specific assembly of technology will be covered, as well as its relationship with technical and environmental aspects that involve them in the concerns of current architecture.
The event will take place over 3 days, with a traditional set of magistral keynote presentations in the morning with national and international guests, and presentations proposed by the participants during the afternoon, adding parallel workshops, presentations by sponsoring companies and visits to tensile structures in Buenos Aires.
Sponsorship
For their feasibility, the Tensile structures symposiums require the contribution of those companies that are part of the provision of raw material, software, tools, engineering and all those activities that add to technology. For those companies interested, we attach the link to the Symposium website, where we have different SPONSORSHIP categories, which will offer different advertising alternatives to collaborate with the realization of the event, and some additional options.
Techtextil – Leading international Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens
The Techtextil competitions for students and young professionals were designed to identify innovative thinking and innovative solutions to problems, featuring construction projects capable of concrete realisation which use textiles or textile-reinforced materials. A further aim was to encourage students and new entrants to the professions. The competition was intended to strengthen contacts between the younger generation, the technical- textiles industry, the universities and broad sections of the building industry.
The Techtextil competitions have been organised until 2019.
