A modern lightweight, translucent ETFE membrane roof connects the Macquarie University Arts District building. The ETFE membrane structure roof covers the top roof gardens of both buildings and forms an internal atrium in the middle of the art district building.
The design is designed to allow a lot of natural light to enter the deep atrium, ensuring that the ground plaza space feels bright and airy. At the upper terrace level, the architectural design required a lighted terrace filled with plants and vegetation to provide an internal garden space for students and faculty. ETFE's excellent light transmittance and transparency to ultraviolet rays are ideal for this solution.
Together with the project architect, the main structural engineers designed aesthetic trusses to span the open atrium space between the main truss elements, which also meshed the roof drainage through box gutters.