Tensile fabric structures · Sri Lanka · since 2013

We're not just building shades. We're building landmarks.

Tensile fabric structures for five-star hotels, resorts, public parks and homes across Sri Lanka. Designed, made and installed by our own team.

Ready to design your shade?

PVC/PES and PTFE membranesEuropean fabrics5–20 year warranty
Live model · Rooftop hypar shade, 2024
8

Provinces with our structures, Jaffna to Yala

2013

Founded, focused only on tensile fabric

100%

Serge Ferrari membranes on every structure

25+

Years of installer experience, local and overseas

30+ yrs

Expected life of PTFE glass-fibre membranes

About us

13 years of tensile fabric, built in-house

Since 2013 we've designed, made and installed tensile fabric structures across Sri Lanka, from the cocoon chalets at Wild Coast Yala to the palm canopies of Havelock City.

Every step happens in our own team: design, patterning, welding, steelwork and installation. We build only with Serge Ferrari membranes, and we're members of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI).

Our vision

To become the leading tensile fabric structure manufacturer in the region, delivering every project to the highest standard of quality, craftsmanship and customer satisfaction.

Project index

Every project, every photo

Filter by sector or structure type, or search for a client or town. Each card opens the full gallery with client, design architect and scope.

Project in 3D · Canope Bistro, Rajagiriya

Two interlocking sails, built from the CAD file

Every mast, tie-back plate and fabric edge here is taken from our shop-drawing CAD file. Six masts hold two PVC hypar sails over a 6 m circular step on a rooftop. Move the sun, switch layers and turn it in 3D.

Drag to rotate and tilt
–Shade on roof, m²
–Of the 6 m step shaded
–Membrane area, m²
–Sun elevation · bearing

Mast bases, mast heads, tie-back plates, fabric corner points and plan edge radii come from ROOF TOP SHOP DRAWINGS 1. Fabric heights come from the elevations. Where the sails cross, Shade-2 runs about 120 mm under Shade-1, as in the CAD views. The membrane surface between the edges is an approximation, and the top of the drawing is taken as north.

CAD viewer

Open the shop drawing, line by line

These views are drawn live from ROOF TOP SHOP DRAWINGS 1.dxf. Zoom in to read the welds and bolt holes, switch layers, and measure any two points in millimetres.

Loading drawing…
x — · y — mm
Drag to pan · scroll or pinch to zoom

How a structure gets built

One team from first sketch to final tension

Design, patterning, high-frequency welding, steel fabrication and installation all happen in-house. That keeps quality and schedule in our hands.

STEP 1

Concept & form-finding

We shape a concept around your idea and budget, then form-find the membrane so every panel carries even prestress.

STEP 2

Patterning

The 3D surface is cut into flat panels with compensation for fabric stretch, so the finished membrane sits tight with no wrinkles.

STEP 3

HF welding

Panels are joined by high-frequency welding in our own factory, giving seams as strong and weather-tight as the fabric.

STEP 4

Steel fabrication

Masts, arches, ring beams and base plates are fabricated and finished in-house to match the membrane geometry.

STEP 5

Installation

Our crew, with over 25 years of local and overseas experience, erects and tensions the structure safely and to schedule.

Materials

Two membranes, chosen for the job

We use quality European fabrics. Both let about 20% of daylight through, depending on thickness, so the space underneath stays bright without the heat.

PVC / PES

PVC-coated polyester

The most cost-effective choice for permanent, temporary and retractable structures.

  • Weather and UV resistant, easy to clean with the right surface treatment
  • Flame retardant
  • Wide colour range, tuned by pigmentation of the coating
  • Patented recycling processes now in industrial use
Expected life10–20 years
010203035 yrs
PTFE / GLASS

PTFE-coated glass fibre

A premium membrane for permanent landmark structures.

  • Very high tensile strength and UV resistance
  • Non-combustible and highly reflective
  • Smooth surface washes clean every time it rains
  • Colour choice is limited by the manufacturing process
Expected life30+ years
010203035 yrs

Our fabric

Built exclusively with Serge Ferrari

Every membrane we install comes from Serge Ferrari, the French manufacturer behind tensile roofs, façades and shade structures around the world for more than 50 years.

Précontraint technology

Tensioned while it is made

Serge Ferrari coats its fabric while holding it under tension in both directions. The finished membrane keeps its shape, stays flat and taut, and resists stretching and creasing through years of sun, wind and monsoon rain. That is why our sails keep their crisp lines long after installation.

50+Years of membrane manufacturing, founded in France
6Production sites, backed by a dedicated research centre
1,270People worldwide
What it means for you
  • Consistent tension, colour and finish on every project
  • European fabric with 5 to 20 year warranties
  • PVC and PTFE options matched to budget and design life

Structure types

Forms we build most

Counts come from our completed project list. Tap a form to see every project built with it.

Where we've built

From Jaffna to the Yala coast

Most of our work sits around Colombo and along the south coast, with projects in Batticaloa, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Jaffna. Hover a pin to see the project and click to open it.

Sri Lanka

Greater Colombo

Projects by sector

Projects by province mapped projects

Design architects projects

Clients we've built for

Serendib Leisure / AvaniNomadic ResortsHilton DoubleTreeSheraton ColomboHavelock CityLOLC GroupCCCC / Port CityAirport & Aviation ServicesSLLRDCHome LandsODELSLIITOverseas School of ColomboAvinya FoundationAlliance FinanceKDU GroupDavid Pieris LeisureEastern Provincial Council

Start a project

How can we help you on your shade requirement?

Send the site, the rough size and how the space will be used. We'll come back with a concept and a budget range.

Managing Director
Suraj Ranaweera
Phone / WhatsApp
+94 77 551 7447WhatsApp
Email
suraj@vihangashade.com
Office
173/3, Indolamulla, Dompe, Sri Lanka
Factory
317/2, New Kandy Road, Biyagama, Sri Lanka