The 19,000m2 transparent roof of the Entertainment Centre comprises ETFE (Ethylenetetrafluoroethylene) cushions supported on a cable net structure. The roof cables are collected 90m above ground on a ring at the top of the steel tripod and span to the sloped concrete perimeter which forms the base of the building. Four intersecting arcs define the 140m long, 120m wide plan of the roof.
The skin of ETFE cushions is very lightweight and insulates while still providing natural daylight. The cushions are flexible to accept the large deflections of the cable net, however their frames are much more rigid, and so Vector-Foiltec developed a staggered arrangement of cushions. This allows the hoop frame of one panel to squeeze in on the mid point of the adjacent panel and benifit from the inherent flexibility of the cushion.