Serge Ferrari Tensile Fabric
Serge Ferrari is a French manufacturer of architectural coated membranes, used in tensile structures worldwide and one of the membrane brands Ekra Decor builds with. This covers what the material is, its Précontraint process and main ranges, how it compares with commodity PVC and with PTFE, and why its price on a project depends on the specification.
- A French-made coated PVC/polyester architectural membrane
- Précontraint process — more stable, less creep
- Not the car brand — the founder’s surname
- One of several brands we specify per project
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Moore Constructions
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Serge Ferrari, in plain terms
Serge Ferrari Group is a French company, founded in 1973, that manufactures coated technical textiles. Its architectural range — tensioned-membrane fabric for canopies, roofs, facades and shade — is one of the membrane brands specified on tensile projects around the world, and one Ekra Decor builds with.
It is a coated PVC/polyester membrane
The architectural products are, in the main, a woven polyester base cloth coated both sides with PVC and finished with a PVDF surface treatment for UV and dirt resistance — the same broad family as other quality PVC-coated polyester membranes, with a PVDF finish. What sets the brand apart is the manufacturing process, covered below.
“Ferrari fabric” means this, not the car
People search for “Ferrari fabric” and land on the car maker. In tensile-structure work, “Ferrari” is shorthand for Serge Ferrari architectural membrane. The two companies share only a surname — Serge Ferrari is named after its founder and has no connection to the Italian car manufacturer.
Where it sits on price
It is a premium PVC/polyester membrane: above commodity PVC/polyester, below PTFE-coated glass. As with any membrane, the figure on a project comes from the grade, the finish, the area and the fabrication — see what determines the fabric price.
What “Précontraint” actually changes
Précontraint (French for “pre-stressed”) is Serge Ferrari’s signature manufacturing method: the base cloth is held under tension in both the warp and the weft directions while it is coated, instead of being coated slack.
More even in both directions
Because the yarns are tensioned equally as the coating sets, the finished membrane behaves more consistently along and across the roll — useful for double-curved forms where load runs both ways.
Lower creep and shrinkage
Pre-stressing locks the weave geometry, so the membrane relaxes and creeps less over time — it holds its installed tension for longer, which matters for ponding and flutter.
Thin for its strength
The process lets a given strength class be reached at a lower coating thickness and weight, which can help with roll handling and welding.
Still a PVC membrane
Précontraint changes how the cloth is made, not what it is. Fire class, temperature limits and the fundamental UV behaviour are those of a coated PVC/polyester with a PVDF finish — not those of PTFE or ETFE.
The product families you will hear named
Serge Ferrari publishes a wide catalogue. In tensile-structure work a few families come up repeatedly. The exact grade for a project is chosen against its structural and fire requirements — the names below are the families, not a specification.
Précontraint architectural membranes
WhatThe main tensioned-roof range — weight classes commonly cited as 1002, 1202, 1302 and heavier, ascending in strength.
UseCanopies, tensile roofs and facades of most sizes.
TX30 shading mesh
WhatA micro-perforated / open membrane that lets air and some light through while cutting solar gain.
UseSun-shading, brise-soleil and facades where a solid membrane is not wanted.
Frontside / facade meshes
WhatCoated open-weave meshes made for stretched facade and screen applications.
UseBuilding wraps, ventilated facades, signage skins.
Soltis & Batyline screens
WhatCoated or knitted technical screens for solar protection and outdoor use.
UseBlinds, pergola screens, outdoor seating — shading, not a structural roof.
Serge Ferrari against the alternatives
A general comparison of attributes — not a scorecard. The right membrane for a project is set by its fire class, design life, span and budget.
| Attribute | Serge Ferrari Précontraint | Conventional PVC/polyester | PTFE-coated glass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base cloth | Woven polyester, pre-stressed | Woven polyester, coated slack | Woven glass fibre |
| Coating | PVC, PVDF surface treatment | PVC, acrylic or PVDF lacquer | PTFE (fluoropolymer) |
| Dimensional stability | High — low creep from pre-stress | Moderate — more relaxation over time | Very high |
| Colour & welding | Coloured, heat-weldable | Coloured, heat-weldable | White only, specialist welding |
| Fire reaction | Self-extinguishing (PVC class) | Self-extinguishing (PVC class) | Non-combustible (A-class) |
| Design service life | ~20–25 years (PVDF-PVC range) | ~15–20 years (acrylic); ~20–25 (PVDF) | 25–30+ years |
| Relative cost | Premium PVC | Commodity to mid PVC | Step change above PVC |
See the full membrane material guide, the PVDF finish page, and how long each membrane lasts.
What a Serge Ferrari membrane costs — and where it is made
It is made in France
Serge Ferrari architectural membrane is manufactured in France (the group has other European sites). It is imported into India, so the landed cost includes ocean freight and customs duty on top of the mill price.
Priced like any premium PVC membrane
Above commodity PVC/polyester, below PTFE-coated glass. The project figure depends on the grade and weight class, the finish, the covered area and roll utilisation, and the fabrication content — the same drivers as any membrane.
It is a minority of the project cost
As with every tensile structure, the membrane is usually a quarter to a third of the total; steel, foundations and installation are the larger share. See the cost guide.
How to get a figure
Send a layout with rough dimensions and the design life and fire class you need. We specify the membrane grade and return the fabric as an itemised line in the quote. Start here →
How Ekra Decor specifies membrane
One of several brands
We build with architectural membrane from established manufacturers that publish full fire, tensile and weathering test data. Serge Ferrari is one of them, alongside other European and Asian producers.
Grade chosen per project
The brand and weight class are specified against the design life, the fire class the occupancy needs, the span and pre-stress from the structural design, and any colour or translucency requirement — not picked as a default.
Certificates on handover
Whichever membrane is used, the project handover pack includes the manufacturer’s material certificates and test data for the exact grade supplied.
Where a PVC membrane is not enough
If the occupancy needs a non-combustible A-class roof or a 30-year civic design life, the answer is PTFE-coated glass, not a premium PVC. We will say so.
Serge Ferrari fabric FAQ
The questions people ask about Serge Ferrari and “Ferrari” tensile fabric.
A French manufacturer of coated technical textiles, founded in 1973, whose architectural range is one of the membrane brands used in tensile structures worldwide. Its signature technology is Précontraint, a process that pre-stresses the base cloth in both directions during coating for better dimensional stability and lower creep. It is not connected to the car manufacturer of the same name.
In tensile-structure work, “Ferrari fabric” refers to Serge Ferrari architectural membrane, usually a PVC-coated polyester made by the Précontraint process with a PVDF surface treatment. It is used for canopies, tensile roofs, facades and shade structures.
No. Serge Ferrari Group is an independent textile company named after its founder. Ferrari the car maker is a separate Italian company. They share only a surname.
No. Serge Ferrari architectural membrane is manufactured in France. It is imported into India, so landed cost includes freight and duty. Indian tensile projects also use membranes from other European and Asian manufacturers; the grade and brand are chosen against the project’s design life, fire class and span, not by origin.
It is a premium PVC/polyester membrane, priced above commodity PVC/polyester and below PTFE-coated glass. The figure on a project depends on the grade and weight class, the finish, the covered area and roll utilisation, and the fabrication content — the same drivers as any membrane — plus import freight and duty. See what determines the fabric price, and send a layout for an itemised quote.
Yes, it is one of the architectural-membrane brands we build with, alongside other established manufacturers. The brand and grade are specified per project by the engineering requirements: design life, fire class, span and finish.
Serge Ferrari is a coated PVC/polyester family — coloured, weldable and economical, with a design life in the PVDF-PVC range of roughly 20 to 25 years. PTFE-coated glass is a step up: non-combustible, self-cleaning, 25 to 30 years and more, and a higher cost. The choice is by fire class, design life and budget. See the material guide.
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