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Barnum and Bailey would marvel at Mexican-based architect Hector Mendoza Uribe’s forward-thinking 2023 redesign of the tent for Florida’s Circus Sarasota.
Seeking a new design, structure and complete equipment overhaul, Mendoza Uribe worked with Carpas Y Lonas El Carrusel to create an eye-catching big top, completely redesigning and manufacturing the main tent, an entrance tent and two massive connecting tunnels as part of an effort to solve a water infiltration issue.
“They had a problem in their former tent between the lobby and the main tent,” Mendoza Uribe explains. “There was a huge water infiltration problem with the main tent’s connection to the tunnels, so we had to design a new system.”
“When the Circus Arts Conservatory thought about designing a new tent, we needed improved function and weather resistance, and we wanted an aesthetic to reflect our artistry,” says Jennifer Mitchell, president and CEO of the organization. “We perform in a town with a rich circus legacy, so our tent had to be extraordinary—and it is.”
The new main tent stands at 46 meters in diameter (151 feet) and the entrance tent is approximately 40 meters (131 feet), with a 12-meter (39-foot) tunnel. The same material—Flexlight Perform 702 Serge Ferrari fabric—was used for both tents and the tunnel.
“In the circus-tent market, there are five or six trademarks,” Mendoza Uribe says, “but we’ve been using the Ferrari fabric for approximately 20 years because it’s considered among the top materials.”
He also worked to create a modern, 21st-century look while retaining the circus’s original red and white colors. “But we wanted to introduce some applications in blue,” he adds. The final product highlights bright red and blue swirls that stand out on the pristine multi-domed structure.
“The circus had a very traditional model, and we had to meet the challenge of offering something very modern and updated while still solving the water [leaking] issues,” he adds. “We also had to ensure security in the fabrication and designing of the exterior arc by suspending everything through steel cables.”
This allowed Mendoza Uribe to remove poles from the structure, which opened up the sightlines for audiences, much like a theater or auditorium. “That’s important,” he says, “because currently, the circus has to compete with cinemas and theaters, so it was essential to find solutions to attract more people to the circus.”
Kelly Hartog is a freelance journalist in Los Angeles, Calif.