Preventing rain checks, castled

The courtyard of Weitra Castle, tucked into the Austrian-Czech border just north of Vienna, features a three-tiered arcade supported on granite columns, and its Renaissance style makes the courtyard a perfect setting for evening events—as long as it doesn’t rain. SEFAR® Architecture, Depew, N.Y., set out to protect the courtyard from rain checks with a series of four inverted umbrellas that, fully deployed, cover the entire space to accommodate outdoor events no matter the weather.

The 50-foot-square umbrellas are made of TENARA® Fabric 4T40HF woven of ePTFE yarn and coated with PTFE, allowing them to fold and retract without cracking or losing strength. The inverted umbrella structures are resistant to blemishes and deterioration, provide 40 percent light transmission and glow at night when multi-colored lighting illuminates their lily shapes. The automatic synchronization of the umbrellas’ opening and closing motions intrigue visitors and ensure that events go on, rain or shine. For more details and to see the umbrellas in action, visit www.tenarafabric.com.