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A goal of the restoration of New York City’s Riverbank State Park ice rink, completed in December 2014, was to extend the season for the ice by protecting it from increased sun exposure it experienced in late winter. Considering the facility’s high visibility due to its location—69 feet above the Hudson River, on top of a water pollution control plant—a striking visual impact was also desired.
Span Systems Inc. of Manchester, N.H., responded with 4,200 square feet of PTFE fabric—duraskin® B 18089 from Verseidag-Indutex GmbH. The project specified four 35-foot masts from the ground to the arched roof of the rink, and called for fabric panels shielding the open west and east corners of the building at the south end. Span Systems handled the structural engineering, design, fabrication and installation of the four mast structures and 11 PTFE panels to fit into the existing structure, overcoming challenges such as specific equipment weight limitations. The park remained open throughout the installation process.
Skaters who use the rink for figure skating, hockey leagues and roller skating now enjoy their surrounding view while being protected from southerly winds off of the river.