The Pure Productions SuperStructure

The new SuperStructure is the latest combination of ideas and technology, providing a unique state-of-the-art mobile venue. Designed to the highest of construction standards featuring some wonderful aesthetics. The building is 14m span x 65m long with a massive 8.5m headroom. Being made of modular trusses the building can be expanded in both span (upto 30m) and in length on 5m bays. The standard building provides 900 square metres, enough to seat 850 people for a conference dinner. The frame is aluminium with a PVC cladding. The structure is erected on a SteelDeck stage.

A STUNNING new mobile venue named The "Superstructure" , features massive flexible covers designed and manufactured 'by J & J. Carter Ltd of Basingstoke, Hampshire. J & J. Carter Ltd's experience in designing, manufacturing and installing tensioned fabric structures, both in the UK and abroad, was crucial for the fabric engineering involved in such a project to succeed.

The Superstructure is a unique, state-of-the-art lightweight tensile structure with 13 modular bays that can be erected in various sizes and configurations for different events. Its versatility and flexibility make it perfect for corporate hospitality fun ctions, product launches, concerts, theatre, conferences, exhibitions, fashion shows, film premiers, outdoor events or summer balls. At it's current size of 14m x 64m, 850 people can comfortably sit down to dinner or 1,500 be seated at a concert.

The fully configurable covers from J & J. Carter Ltd are manufactured from Ferrari Précontraint 502 PVC/P fabric and 0.75mm translucent PVC clear window vinyl and fit on an aluminium frame erected on a steel deck produced by James Thomas Engineering. The black fabric offers UV stability, flame retardancy to British and European Standards and is completely weatherproofed.

The whole Superstructure is designed to the highest construction standards and was the brainchild of the Pure Group, an award winning organisation in the planning and production of special events. "From concept to finished structure, this was a really exciting and challenging project, largely because of the its unusual polygon shape and the tight time frame we were working within," says Mick Lees of the Pure Group.

"J & J. Carter Ltd has a reputation for quality manufacturing and first time fit both of which we knew would be critical factors. John Carter and his team from J & J. Carter Ltd worked extremely closely with us before manufacturing began and their technical expertise in textiles and fabric eng ineering helped pre-empt potential problems," he says.

John Carter explains: "We use our skills and specialist computer software to ensure accuracy from the initial design stage through production to finishing in order to achieve the excellent first time fit we're rightly proud of."

Fabrication of the huge covers, utilising some 2,600 square metres of fabric took just three weeks using specialist HFW equipment at J & J. Carter's Basingstoke site. J & J. Carter again responded quickly when, during the Superstructures first erection, it was decided to incorporate some modifications. "Representatives from J & J. Carter came on site, understood our requirements and they completed the work in only a couple of days. This helped ensure the Superstructure was r eady with facilities such as lighting and heating installed in time for the busy schedule we had planned," says Mick Lees of the Pure Group.

The Superstructure is described as surpassing any other mobile structure of comparable size in terms of engineering excellence, strength and facilities on offer. It has 8.5m headroom and a floor weight loading of 3.5 tonnes. Each one of its beguiling 14 arches is certified for two tonnes loading (great for hanging heavyweight lighting rigs from). The Pure Group can erect it anywhere in seven days, with a choice of combinations of blackout fabric and windows, and offers a full technical support package.

It was first erected over the millennium period on the north side of The Thames with a wall of clear windows allowing a wonderful view of another major design innovation 'The Dome'. While there, the Superstructure was the location for the BBC launch of its Millennium Season in early December, several top corporate Xmas and Millennium festivities, a two-day exhibition by British Aerospace and the film premiere of End of Days starring Arnold Schwarznegger.

The flexible modular design of the stunning structure has since allowed different sections to be used for various events in other locations but seven bays will be returning to the same prime site overlooking The Thames for the summer season, starting at the end of April. Other sections of this versatile structure will form open stages for events around the country.

SuperStructure is a trademark of the The Pure Group

Revised: August 04, 2001.