Who We
Serve
Museums & Exhibitions
We collaborate with museums, gallery spaces and wider exhibitions to create distinctive structures that support storytelling and creative expression. Whether permanent or temporary, our work balances technical precision with sensitivity to the artistic vision and environment, making bold and challenging concepts buildable.
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Architects
We work closely with architects to realise ambitious design intent through engineered fabric structures that balance form and function. From early-stage collaboration through to delivery, we can translate concepts into safe, well-engineered, buildable, high-performance solutions.
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Events and Touring
We design and deliver adaptable structures for events, touring productions and exhibitions that need to perform reliabily across multiple locations. Able to be deployed rapidly, we create demountable structures that balance moveability with striking visual impact.
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Facility Management
From regular maintenance to replacement canopies, we support facility managers with long-term solutions that enhance usability and aesthetics, protect assets and extend the life of existing structures. Whether a new installation or a refurbishment of an existing asset, we deliver dependable services.
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Contractors
Supporting contractors on complex builds, we provide adaptable, reliable solutions to keep projects moving, such as our Base Screens Temporary Screening for fit-out works. Our team integrates efficiently on site, coordinating with multiple trades to deliver practical installations to meet demanding timelines.
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Leisure and Hospitality
We build structures, canopies and shelters in leisure and hospitality venues that enhance visitor experience while meeting the demands of multi-use environments. Our solutions provide shelter, visual appeal and long-term performance in bars and restaurants to hotels, cinemas and outdoor community spaces.
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Artists
We have a long history of working directly with artists and creative individuals and organisations to help build structures that inspire, delight and amaze. From supporting and installing large projects to installing small art pieces for corporate headquarters, we are a capable home for creatives.
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Schools
For many years, we have delivered safe, durable and engaging canopy structures for schools for all ages. These create sheltered spaces for learning and play, foster social interaction and offer an outdoor social setting for pupils and staff. Our solutions are designed with longevity, low maintenance and everyday usability in mind.
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University & Colleges
We can deliver a wide variety of structures across university and college campuses, supporting busy, multi-use student environments. From circulation spaces and social areas, to shaded entrances and outdoor hospitality environments within campus grounds, our solutions provide visual impact and shelter.
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Infrastructure & Industry
Working across infrastructure and industrial environments where reliability, safety and keeping to programme deadlines are critical. We've worked with global transport hubs, logistics facilities and energy and utility sites, with our tensile structures provide effective protection alongside operational flexibility and long-term durability.
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Retail
We support retail centres that are transitioning to destination spaces, work with everything from small retail outlets to large shopping centres. We install art projects to increase aesthetics, and shelters, canopies and façades that help new mixed-use spaces remain usable and attractive year-round.
Town Centres
Our work helps revitalise town centres with structures that create usable, weather-protected public spaces for the community. Working with local authorities and multiple stakeholders, we can deliver solutions that encourage engagement, support events and enhance the overall environment throughout the year.
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Zoos and Wild Spaces
Working with zoos and conservation specialists to design and build bespoke enclosures and structures that prioritise animal welfare and enhance visitor visibility. Our solutions maximise usable space, ensure safety, integrate sensitively into surroundings and provide suitable environments for a wide range of species.
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FAQs
Base Structures are an experienced team of directors, architects, engineers, project managers, specialist support and installation specialists, available to work on projects worldwide, from concept through to project completion.
We offer a one-stop shop – from design, manufacture, installation, to after sales maintenance support. We typically supply everything above foundation level – ie the steel frame, tie rods etc, fabric, specialist materials. As well as tensile architecture, we also work on a variety of other high risk projects including steel and glass installations.
A fabric structure can be far more cost effective than a toughened glass roof and steel frames can be much lighter - taking a fraction of the dead weight. Bespoke fabric structures would struggle to compete with clear triple wall polycarbonate. However, their wide variety of application, aesthetic appearance, durability and amount of material required, results in tensile structures being a cost-effective solution.
There are several options available, determined by the application. For external structures we predominately work with PVC coated polyester (fabric & mesh), PTFE coated glass and Silicon coated glass. For internal structures there is a wealth of choice from PVC coated polyester meshes and Lycra’s through to polyesters and synthetic silks. All our fabrics are fire rated and supplied with the manufacturer’s warranty.
Our engineers provide loadings to your structural engineers for foundations and attachments to existing structures. We ensure that structures satisfy the Eurocodes for wind and snow loading (BS EN 1991-1-1:2003 + A1 2015 Eurocode 1: Actions on structures).
This will depend on the type of materials used but typically, 15-30 years for PVC-coated polyester fabrics and approximately 35-40 years for a PTFE or silicon coated glass cloth. The rest of the steel frame and cables are long lasting and are known for lasting up to 50 years. To keep the structure looking at its best and operating safely, some routine maintenance will be required. Base Structures are more than happy to provide this service.
Translucency is one of the major benefits of tensile structures, so keeping them clean is an advantage. Compared to glass, the cleaning regime is substantially less demanding – usually amounting to an annual wash down with soapy water and soft brush.
Most structures can be cleaned from cherry pickers with telescopic brushes; but with deep plan canopies, trained rope-access operatives should wet wipe the canopy with the help of water filled backpacks. The frequency required will depend upon the location, with structures in high profile city centre sites benefiting from a six-month cycle. Canopies under trees need particular attention as accumulating leaves can cause discolouration.
Tensile Fabric structures are probably the most efficient method of achieving long span enclosures. Compared to conventional steel frame and glass alternatives the embodied energy is significantly less. Conversely, though, tensile structures usually require larger concrete foundations due to the tensile loads. One of our key environmental objectives is zero waste to landfill and ensuring circularity where possible.
Want to find out how we can help engineer the extraordinary?
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