{"id":310101,"date":"2025-08-01T20:05:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T20:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/310101\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T20:05:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T20:05:25","slug":"zelt-studios-curved-textile-canopy-ripples-above-dekmantel-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/310101\/","title":{"rendered":"ZELT studio’s curved textile canopy ripples above dekmantel stage"},"content":{"rendered":"

ZELT installs textile canopy over Dekmantel stage<\/p>\n

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As Dekmantel Festival opens its 2025 edition in Amsterdamse Bos, the Netherlands<\/strong><\/a>, CURTAIN 01, an architectural installation<\/strong><\/a> by ZELT, the Dutch\u00a0designer Johannes Offerhaus\u2019 practice, introduces a constructed addition to the forest landscape. The structure takes the form of a suspended textile canopy that stretches above the DJ booths at Selectors Stage, a longtime favorite among festivalgoers. Inspired by couture construction and spatial design, its function is to offer rain protection for DJs performing over the three-day event. Still, the project creates a distinct spatial atmosphere that mediates between the natural setting, the crowd, and the sonic intensity of live performance. \u2018The initial idea was to suspend it between two trees,\u2019 the designer tells us.<\/strong> \u2018As the design and forces grew, this became impossible. Now there are four steel poles hidden between the trees that keep the whole installation suspended. This allows me to keep the rest of the details very lightweight and simple.\u2018<\/p>\n

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Suspended between the trees and held aloft by a complex system of ropes, aluminum<\/strong><\/a>, and steel<\/strong><\/a>, the tensile structure<\/strong><\/a> transforms the clearing into what light designer Zal\u00e1n Szak\u00e1cs describes as \u2018some kind of intergalactic sailing ship.\u2019 Its curved, white textile surfaces ripple in the breeze and catch dappled light through the trees. \u2018I always aim to make my installations visually interesting from all sides, even backstage,\u2019 Johannes Offerhaus expresses.<\/strong> \u2018In contrast to more traditional festival scenography, it doesn\u2019t just look good facing forward \u2014 and from the back you\u2019re not just looking at zip ties and stapled fabric. I aim to make sure the stage doesn\u2019t just have a face, but that it is a space.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"ZELT's
all images by Woody Bos<\/a>, unless stated otherwise<\/p>\n

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a series of repeating, curved forms shapes CURTAIN 01<\/p>\n

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CURTAIN 01 is constructed entirely by hand from white textile through a meditative process of draping and sewing, drawing from Offerhaus\u2019 early training in fashion. \u2018Just like in a draping process where form-finding is done through the process of draping textile around a human body,\u2019 he says,<\/strong> \u2018I start modelling and prototyping with textiles. Only my canvas is not the human body anymore, it\u2019s space.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Designed specifically for the Selectors Stage of the festival, an intimate clearing surrounded by willow trees, the form takes cues from the natural setting. \u2018It\u2019s a very intimate stage with a lot of nice hazy sunlight moments,\u2019 the designer<\/a> and leader of the team<\/a> at ZELT notes.<\/strong> \u2018The stage has a very clear identity that I could easily mess with too much.\u2019<\/p>\n

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ZELT\u2019s canopy is suspended from steel anchors and held in place through a system of ropes and aluminum rods, allowing it to float above the heavy concrete stage element. The fabric is shaped into a series of repeating, curved forms, producing a rippling overhead surface that catches light and wind. Using a single color and consistent geometry lends the structure a calm visual presence, contrasting with the surrounding motion and sound. \u2018While playing with the characteristics of curtains, this design evolved to three circular-shaped curtains hanging from the same points that are pushed into three different planes by aluminum tubing. These form the base for the last circle\u2014the rainproof roof of the stage,\u2019 he continues. <\/strong>The rhythmic repetition of the fabric\u2019s curves and seams creates a sense of spatial order. \u2018It brings order and makes your eye understand what\u2019s happening,\u2019 Offerhaus observes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"ZELT's
white textile surfaces ripple in the breeze<\/p>\n

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lighting design references sci-fi films and iconic music shows<\/p>\n

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The project emerges from Offerhaus\u2019 intention to scale up his textile work. \u2018In the last 3 years, having worked on textile designs at small scale \u2014 attached to the body \u2014 I really felt the need to scale up,\u2019 he explains.<\/strong> \u2018I wanted my work to be very big \u2014 to offer a space for more than just one person.\u2019 That opportunity came through a collaboration with Dekmantel\u2019s Creative Director, Albert van Abbe, who invited him to reimagine the scenography of the Selectors Stage. While van Abbe envisioned a prefab concrete DJ booth as a stable core for vinyl sets, Offerhaus came up with a lightweight, expressive textile canopy that hovers above. \u2018The heavy concrete \u2014 a perfect anchor point \u2014 naturally invited in a lightweight (visually and literally) textile tensile piece,\u2019 he adds.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Alongside CURTAIN 01, Szak\u00e1cs\u2019 lighting design brings a cinematic tone to the space, referencing 1970s sci-fi film sets and iconic rock shows such as Pink Floyd\u2019s Pompeii performance through warm whites, amber, and soft blues that mix with the white fabric above.<\/p>\n

\"ZELT's
a rippling overhead surface that catches light and wind<\/p>\n

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Johannes Offerhaus calls his creations \u2018tent designs\u2019<\/p>\n

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Every component of the structure is crafted in Offerhaus\u2019 Amsterdam Noord studio using industrial sail-making machines. \u2018We machine sew everything\u2026 it gives us a really good understanding of the materials and its limitations,\u2019 he highlights.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2018The design is very clear until you get all the fabric cut and have to assemble it. You quite easily get lost in between the heaps of fabric behind the sewing machine.\u2019 He and his team follow a highly structured process to ensure precision, knowing they only have days before the festival opens to confirm whether the assembly works.<\/p>\n

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Offerhaus prefers to let the work speak for itself once it\u2019s in place. \u2018I don\u2019t have to inform the spectator how to interpret the work and I don\u2019t have to present it to them. I can dissolve in the crowd,\u2019 Johannes Offerhaus points out<\/strong>. \u2018Obviously the moment the festival starts, my work merges together with that of others \u2013 light designers, sound engineers, DJs, performers \u2013 and so I become the spectator as well.\u2019<\/p>\n

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This project follows earlier installations such as GATEWAY at Down The Rabbit Hole festival and KOLOM 01, all part of Offerhaus\u2019 evolving interest in spatial textiles \u2013 what he calls his \u2018tent designs.\u2019 \u2018By calling my installations \u201dtents\u201d I am forcing myself to slowly find a purpose and function for them,\u2019 he comments.<\/strong> \u2018Ultimately, it is a gateway for the terrain.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"ZELT's
designed specifically for the Selectors Stage of the festival | image courtesy of ZELT<\/p>\n

\"ZELT's
floating above the heavy concrete stage element | image courtesy of ZELT<\/p>\n

\"ZELT's
suspended between the trees | image courtesy of ZELT<\/p>\n

\"ZELT's
a lightweight, expressive textile canopy that hovers above the stage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ZELT installs textile canopy over Dekmantel stage \u00a0 As Dekmantel Festival opens its 2025 edition in Amsterdamse Bos,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":310102,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3939],"tags":[16274,40348,4021,4020,4022,77,11100,10200,113403,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-310101","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-architecture-in-the-netherlands","9":"tag-architecture-interviews","10":"tag-arts","11":"tag-arts-and-design","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-interactive-installation","15":"tag-steel-architecture-and-design","16":"tag-tents","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114955310395519519","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=310101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310101\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/310102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=310101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=310101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=310101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}