En-Fold® Stadium-Grade Retractable Awning System Creates Stunning Event Space for All-Weather Use at Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel

MINNEAPOLIS, MN… The En-Fold® stadium-grade retractable awning system enhances the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel’s rooftop lawn, providing an attractive, high-end solution to ensure the facility is available for year-round use.

Manufactured by Uni-Systems, LLC, the globally-recognized leader in the design, engineering, manufacture, and installation of large-scale kinetic architectural systems, En-Fold enables the operators to cover more than 1,500 square feet of outdoor space at the rooftop level at the push of a button and protect patrons against strong sun, winds, and other inclement conditions.

“En-Fold provided a unique, high-design solution for the rooftop event space,” says T. Jack Bagby, Associate Principal with Cooper Carry, the architecture firm responsible for the hotel design. “When deployed, the system is able to shade the space during the hottest portion of the day and it provides some insurance and security for events against mild inclement weather. When closed, it doesn’t detract from the overall aesthetic.”

The rooftop lawn is situated on the 19^th floor of the hotel and is a popular venue for weddings and other large events. En-Fold complements both the space and the overall hotel design, which is elegant and fluid, echoing the nearby cosmopolitan area and  neighboring structure, and nodding to the sweeping form of Romare Bearden Park. 

“We worked with The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry to create a warm and inviting space which focused on the incredible surrounding views,” Bagby says. “The sleekness and flexibility of En-Fold’s design appealed to us the most, making it ideal for the intended space.”

The event lawn is closed on three sides by the rooftop restaurant structure and is open to the glass railing on the fourth side, presenting a spectacular view of the nearby park, baseball stadium, and the Western horizon. Thanks to the stunning views, the space is casually referred to as Charlotte’s front porch. The En-Fold canopy itself has an extension of 26'-9" and is 63' wide. The four 26'-9" aluminum drive beams are attached to the wall at one end and dramatically cantilever 6' beyond the 66' long transfer beam from which they hang on the opposite side. Seven aluminum extrusions support the Sefar® TENARA® 4T40 fabric that provides protection from the sun, wind, and rain when fully extended.

“The Uni-Systems team ensured everything went smoothly from design through installation,” says Bagby.

En-Fold is the world’s first and only pre-engineered, stadium-grade, fully-automated retractable awning system. It can safely remain fully deployed in winds up to 90 mph (115 mph ultimate wind speed in accordance with the 2015 IBC) and is available in a variety of configurations and sizes to fit any space.

Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel marks the first boutique hotel by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in Charlotte, NC. The project was completed in September 2017 and had a soft opening in October, with its grand opening in November of the same year. Cooper Carry Atlanta was the architect/designer, and the En-Fold engineer was GLR Engineers. The fabric fabricator was Lightweight Manufacturing, Inc., and Southeastern Architectural Systems was the installer. Balfour Beatty Construction served as the project’s general contractor.

For more information about En-Fold systems, visit: www.en-fold.com.