Banquet Hall, Indore Conical Tensile Structure

A banquet venue sells dates. Every function it cannot host because of rain or heat is lost revenue, so the covered area has to be genuinely weatherproof, not just shade. It also has to feel like an occasion — guests arriving for a wedding expect something with presence, not a shed. And because the venue is booked months ahead, the structure has to go up on a fixed programme.

Ekra Decor delivered the roof as a turnkey package: site survey, 3D structural and membrane design, fabrication of the galvanised steel and the welded fabric cones, and on-site erection and tensioning, completed in about 40 days over a covered area of roughly 2,250 m².

A cone is one of the most efficient shapes a fabric roof can take. The membrane is pulled up to a high ring or mast at the centre and down to anchor points around the perimeter, which forces it into a steep radial double curvature. That curvature pre-stresses the fabric so it stays taut in wind, and it makes the cone self-draining — rain runs straight off the slope to the low edge, with nowhere to pond.

Covering a big rectangular hall then becomes a matter of repeating the module: a line of cones, each spanning its own bay, gives a large continuous roof that still reads as a series of peaks. Ekra Decor form-finds the geometry in 3D, designs the steelwork to IS 800, and checks the structure for wind, rain and seismic loading to the applicable Indian codes. Wind is the governing case for a peaked roof in open country, so the perimeter foundations are sized for uplift and the central supports for the mast compression.

The membrane is chosen for its lifespan and finish: a PVC- or PVDF-coated polyester fabric gives a bright, cleanable surface with a 10-to-20-year service life, which suits a commercial venue that wants the roof to keep looking new.

Each cone is cut as a set of radial panels from the form-found pattern and high-frequency welded into a single piece in the workshop, while the masts, tension rings and perimeter steel are fabricated and hot-dip galvanised. The foundations are cast on site in parallel.

On site the sequence is quick and repetitive: erect and plumb the masts, lift the central rings, then spread each cone and tension it down to its perimeter anchors so the peak pulls up true. The open rural setting made crane access and lay-down straightforward, and the roof was completed in about 40 days.

The venue gained a large, weatherproof covered area with a roofline that works as part of its identity. Functions run rain or shine, the space stays bright and airy under the translucent fabric, and the roof needs little more than periodic cleaning and an annual tension check.

Ekra Decor builds conical and gazebo tensile structures for hospitality and events clients across India. See more finished work on the projects page, or read about tensile structures in Indore.