The Cloud is a multipurpose infrastructure located in the historic Queen's Wharf area of the Auckland waterfront. An ultra-modern ephemeral building, which was built for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and received the LSAA* Design Award 2011.

A true economic and cultural showcase during the event, the Cloud was designed to be removable, transportable and re-deployable after the competition.

As famous now as the Skytower or the Waitemata Harbour bridge, the Cloud is characterised by a pureness and aesthetic delicacy only possible through the lightness of Serge Ferrari composite materials.

The 180 m long structure is covered by a Précontraint 1002 Fluotop T2 flexible composite.

During the day, the composite membrane reflects heat and its translucence optimises natural light diffusion. At night, the material reveals the play and movements of light, transforming the building into a distinctive luminous landmark.

The building’s southern end is lined with Précontraint 502 composite material, which conceals the reinforcement and steel frames and gives the final touch to the cloud shape created by the roof.

Inside, Soltis 92 micro-aerated membrane clads the 500 m2 ceiling of the mezzanine reserved for the media and VIPs during the Rugby World Cup. Flexible, light and robust, Soltis 92 allowed many HVAC technical components to be safely incorporated: the material conserved all its strength and aesthetic qualities.

An additional advantage was its sound absorption performance characteristics, which contributed to enhancing the structures acoustic environment.