The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, opened in 1931 and is an important cultural institution in Omaha. The museum recently underwent an impressive renovation and expansion led by the architectural firm Snøhetta. This renovation introduced the new Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion, a 42,000 square-foot expansion that increased the gallery space by over 40%. This new section, featuring a modern glass atrium entrance, connects the original Art Deco building with the later Scott Pavilion from 1994. The design combines historical elements with contemporary architecture to create a more accessible and welcoming museum. In September 2024, the museum reopened to the public after this extensive renovation.

During this renovation, we were approached by our shading partner Draper Inc. to develop a shading solution for the museum. For this project, we custom-made 13 shading systems equipped with a "re-directional roller." This system allows the fabric to make a 90-degree turn before beginning an 8-meter journey at an angled slope. The fabric is pulled over a 50-millimeter tube that moves along with it, ensuring that the fabric remains under high tension.

Architectural firm Snøhetta requested that these systems be concealed within a cove, where limited space was available. Our engineering department devised a solution that allowed the systems to make a turn to exit the cove without the cassette needing to be tilted, despite the restricted space.

A second challenge was the 8-meter extension of the fabric. This long extension pulled the fabric at a different angle. Our engineering department conducted extensive tests to ensure that our solution would work effectively at any angle. During these tests, our engineers managed to apply extra tension to the fabric, minimizing sagging at all angles. By using custom solutions, the system was perfectly tailored to fit the architectural facade design, which remained unaltered as a result.