SAMBIL Barquisimeto Shopping Mall

Castro Rojas Ingenieros y Arquitectos Ltda., Bogotá, Cmarca, Colombia

TS Estructuras, Kreska, Caracas, Venezuela

The project is the cable-net-supported membrane roof for the food court of the new SAMBIL Shopping Mall in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. The purpose was to create a one-of-a-kind roof structure, a fifth facade for this new shopping mall.

The roof is shaped like a cuatro, the local musical instrument. It is suspended of six steel masts and a central spine-trussed beam. The fabric is attached to a cable net that provides the required stiffness in this windy area. A close coordination between architect, engineer, membrane fabricator and cable net fabricator was the key to the success of this project.

The result is a spectacular high-tech structure that provides cover for the mall’s food court and has become an icon in the city.