Denver International Airport  the massive, 1,200- by 240-foot facility features a striking “mountain range” canopy that utilizes Birdair’s innovative steel cable systems and durable PTFE Teflon-coated fabric membrane. Punctuating this “ridge and valley” structure is a 900-foot atrium, known as the Great Hall, which rises to a height of 126 feet and welcomes visitors with an abundance of translucent, natural light. This graceful, lightweight roof incorporates two layers of fabric membrane to ensure proper sound control and sufficient insulation against Denver’s demanding climate conditions.


To support this load-bearing structure, 34 interior columns and 10 miles of steel cable were used, completely enclosing the building’s exterior envelope before spilling over and connecting to exterior anchorage points. This design, in turn, provides travelers with adequate shade and protection.


In total, the Jeppesen Terminal roof required 375,000 square feet of tensile fabric membrane, with the adjacent curbside roofs requiring an additional 75,000 square feet. With such a large surface area, Birdair’s design and engineering team optimized the sustainable benefits of PTFE fabric, which is chemically inert, highly resistant to dirt and pollution, and provides a long lifecycle with minimal service.

The Munich airport is the second largest passenger airport in Germany. Its Airport Center is a central connecting link between the Terminals 1 and 2 and serves as a shopping, service and communication centre. A 19,000 m2 outdoor atrium connects the surrounding terminal buildings. It is covered by a membrane roof, supported by curved steel girders, so-called ‘banana beams’, suspended from masts. The construction has a height of up to 45 metres.