Shade Systems

October 3, 2013
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 5 • Brooklyn, New York

Shade Systems^™ provides its ‘Sail’ shade canopies for the new Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 5!

In full view of lower Manhattan across the East River, Brooklynites and visitors alike have been enjoying the cool comfort and aesthetically-pleasing benefits of the new Shade Systems fabric ‘Sail’ canopies along the sides of the multi-purpose sports field at the new Pier 5 section of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park’s first space dedicated to active recreation, has transformed what was once a shipping and storage area into a multipurpose sports field with versatile, unique, and welcoming sporting and spectator areas through the inventive use of Shade Systems’ sail canopies.

Pier 5 encompasses 5 acres of artificial turf, accommodating soccer, rugby, lacrosse, cricket, and ultimate Frisbee sporting events. Further reinforcing the sustainable design, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy engaged structural engineers HNTB Corporation to develop a plan to shade the area so that it is more hospitable for sports activity, players and spectators alike. The result was a mult-functional network of lighting structures and canopy systems enabling night games after dusk that also create comfortably shaded areas during the day.

The innovative canopy design configuration consists of 26 custom-designed fabric shade canopies, 13 lining each of the northern and southern sidelines of the pier. The canopies provide visitors with protection from the sun’s dangerous U.V. rays and cooling shade when watching an event or game.

Mr. Ted Zoli and Mr. Ryan Woodward, the primary structural engineers of the canopies project, selected Shade Systems, Inc. of Ocala, Florida because of the company’s reputation for high quality materials and its customized design capabilities. Mr. Woodward cited the importance of Shade Systems’ experience with different meshes, tearing strength, general fabric behavior and long term durability, as well as the Shade Systems team’s ability to develop highly customized fabric canopies for unique locations. “The canopies look good, fit well, and provide appropriate tension to retain and support the architectural shape of the fabric,” commented Mr. Woodward.

Per HNTB design specifications, Shade Systems developed custom canopies and connections that anchor onto existing lighting infrastructure, thereby creating a dual purpose: lighting the field at night while providing usability during the hottest times of the year. Mr. Zoli was likewise very happy with the outcome of the Canopies project, and said: “The shades were well received. The canopies enhance the functionality of the environment and make the area more versatile. It feels noticeably different in hot weather when under the canopies.”

Mayor Bloomberg was exuberant during the Brooklyn Bridge Park groundbreaking, “As huge of a success Brooklyn Bridge Park has been, its brightest days are still ahead.”