
OpenAire and SCX Special Projects join forces to transform outdoor spaces into multi-use venues in a post-COVID-19 world
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
OpenAire, the world’s leading retractable roof specialists and kinetic engineering firm SCX Special Projects, have partnered to create solutions that will transform outdoor areas into flexible, attractive and innovative spaces.
COVID-19 has hit the entertainment and leisure sectors hard. Indoor venue capacities will remain reduced for a while to come and consumer confidence in busy public places will be slow to recover.
People will seek out safer public-private places to meet and venues with natural ventilation, daylight, and smart design will be in demand.

OpenAire and SCX Special Projects combine their skills to create covered areas that transform from stylish indoor spaces to airy outdoor venues. Elements such as retractable roofs, skylights, and bi-folding doors will blend with industry-leading control and automation to deliver a moving structure that opens and closes at the push of a button.
Attractive outdoor spaces have always been a valuable asset, but now they can play a significant role in the sector’s recovery. Bars, restaurants, hotels, and clubs with existing outdoor spaces have an opportunity to create an attractive, differentiated, and socially-distanced venue.
Previously under-utilized outdoor areas can be made into lucrative multi-use venues, giving customers the confidence to visit, while offering new flexibility in layout and usage.
Wael Atassi, Commercial Director at OpenAire adds:
“We have created retractable roofs on all scales – from small private residences to hotels and restaurants, to huge shopping malls and waterparks. The aim is always the same: to create an indoor space that can quickly transform into an attractive open-air venue.”
Danny Pickard, Projects Director at SCX Special Projects says:
“People usually turn to SCX Special Projects to solve significant mechanical handling projects. However, our expertise translates to all kinds of moving structures, of all sizes, and especially those that need to move in public spaces where safety is a primary concern.”
OpenAire, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, has designed and built thousands of retractable roofs around the globe. It has led the market in developing advanced glass and metal structures that bring the outdoors into indoor spaces.
Award-winning SCX Special Projects, based in Sheffield, United Kingdom, has gained global recognition for its works on large-scale moving structures. Its work includes the iconic concertina roofs at Wimbledon and the world’s first dividing retractable soccer stadium at Tottenham Hotspur.
The two businesses first crossed paths in 2018 on a retractable roof project in the Middle East. Together, they bring more than 60 years of experience to the partnership, which aims to give outdoor spaces a new lease of life in a post-COVID-19 world.
For more information contact:
OpenAire
TF: 855-426-9208
E: sales@openaire.a2hosted.com