Inflatable structure showcases international rugby

Any brand of football in which the players maul, ruck and scrum has got to be a fan favorite, and rugby’s rough and rowdy play is a hit worldwide. To celebrate the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Ferrari Group, La Tour du Pin, France, created a huge, inflatable rugby ball structure, which will be displayed at international rugby matches until 2011, when it will be installed in New Zealand. Inside the structure, a 15-minute film touts New Zealand’s tourist attractions.

The “ball” is angled on a wooden platform, ballasted by 22-ton water containers covered with green tarps to resemble a rugby pitch. A single Ferrari Précontraint® 502 textile membrane is fixed to the platform, then inflated to its larger-than-life size. Visitors enter the structure via two rotating, airtight access doors. Internal carbon dioxide monitoring ensures that adequate air quality and ventilation are maintained. A bi-axial control used by Ferrari during coating Précontraint gives the fabric exceptional dimensional stability in weft and warp. The textile is translucent, light, flexible and printable. For more information, visit www.ferrari-architecture.com. Photos: Infotech France.