Hazratbal Dargah, Srinagar Tensile Shade Structure

A shrine courtyard used for mass congregational prayer has a demanding brief. It has to shelter very large numbers of people from sun, rain and snow; it has to keep the open, dignified character of the space, with as few obstructions as possible; and the work has to be done with minimal disruption to a site that is in near-constant religious use.

Ekra Decor’s scope covered the structure end to end: survey and setting-out over the courtyard, 3D structural and membrane design, fabrication of the galvanised steel frame and the welded fabric, and installation and tensioning, over about 2,600 m² in roughly three months.

Covering a courtyard of this size means a large clear span with the columns pushed to the perimeter, so the prayer space underneath stays open. The membrane and its supporting steel cross the courtyard and land only at the edges.

Srinagar changes the engineering. Most of Ekra Decor’s structures are governed by wind and rain; here, snow load is a primary case, so the membrane is pitched steeply enough to shed snow rather than let it accumulate, and the steel and foundations are sized for the combined snow and wind actions to the applicable Indian codes, with the steelwork designed to IS 800. The fabric is form-found into double curvature so it stays taut and stable through the seasonal swings, and it drains meltwater and rain to defined points clear of the courtyard.

A light-toned translucent membrane keeps the courtyard bright under cover and softens the strong mountain sunlight.

The steel is cut, welded and hot-dip galvanised in the workshop and the membrane is cut and high-frequency welded into panels off-site, so the on-site work is erection rather than fabrication — foundations, frame, membrane, tensioning.

On a shrine in continuous use, the sequence is planned around prayer times and gatherings, the work zone is kept contained and respectful, and completed areas are handed back as they are finished. The full structure took about three months.

The shrine gained weather cover over its main courtyard that lets congregational prayer and relic displays continue through the sun, the rain and the Kashmiri winter — while the courtyard stays open, bright and dignified. The structure is designed for a long service life with minimal maintenance.

Ekra Decor builds large courtyard and congregation shade structures for public and religious sites. See more finished work on the projects page, or read about tensile structures in Srinagar.