Tent on Union Square finished by Friday - No "Big Top" among the 12 name finalists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: August 2, 2012
Contact: Dana Kaminske
Communications Specialist
828-261-2289
dkaminske@hickorync.gov

The structure on Union Square in downtown Hickory nears completion

HICKORY – The structure on Union Square in downtown Hickory nears completion with the final panels being hung.

The panels began being hung on Wednesday morning, August 1, and should be completed on Friday, August 3. The final touches will be made to the custom-designed structure, such as adding new tables and chairs and testing the lighting with the panels. Lighting and upgraded security cameras have been installed. The last piece to finish the structure will be to name it.

The name for the structure has been narrowed to the top 12 names from 360 submissions by the community. A committee, made up of individuals from various organizations, businesses, and age groups from within the community voted on the final name. The name will be announced, as well as the winner who created the name, at an upcoming grand opening event to be announced soon.

The top 12 names for the structure are:
COMET – (community, outdoor, market, event, tent)
Hickory Station Pavilion
Market Pavilion
Piedmont Pavilion
Randy Ingold Pavillion
The Canopy
The Hickory Pavilion
The Hub – (Hickory's Undiscovered Best)
The Pavilion
The Sails (on the Square)
Union Square Pavilion
Whistle Square

The outdoor furniture is being made by Timmerman Manufacturing, a local furniture company that specializes in wrought iron fabrications. Highly-skilled artisans fabricate each piece of furniture by hand. After each piece is constructed it is carefully inspected and cleaned by removing all of the dirt, grease, and scale. The piece is then etched to provide a superior surface for the paint to adhere. Every item made is painted with an electrostatic painting system that causes paint to flow evenly and uniformly around each piece.

The panels were designed using AutoCAD in conjunction with a fabric design software called MPanel. MPanel allowed the company, Leighweight Manufacturing, to draw the panels in 3D. The software takes the 3D shape and flattens the fabric panel out. It then creates a pattern from those pieces. Panels were cut using a computer cutting machine. The panels were welded together using a high frequency welding machine (RF), which basically melts the layers of fabric together. From start to finish each panel took about 12 hours to complete, this does not include the assembly of the hardware to the panels.

The panels are made of a fabric material that is a high performance coated PVC textile, 702 PVC Coated Fabric, White Translucent, 22oz/sq/yd with a weldable PVDF topcoat, made by a company called Ferrari, using their precontraint technology. This technology has allowed them to get a thicker coating than in more traditional structural textiles. The ultra white coloration allows for very uniform light transmission and blockage of harmful ultra-violet rays. All cable pocketing is re-enforced with a double layer and bracket sections made much thicker for strength with a high heat fabric weld process. The edge cables were galvanized aircraft cable with a clear PVC coating, stainless steel threaded end fittings. The membrane and clamp plates, the metal hardware, were all made from ASTM A572 Gr.50 steel and had a hot dipped galvanized finish. All tensioning hardware is stainless steel. The high tension of the panels is evident in the size and quality of metal components required to attach the panels to the structure.