About / Corporate Profile

Birdair, Inc. is a leading specialty contractor of custom tensile architectural systems and steel cable structures throughout the world, setting the standard in this progressive building industry for more than 50 years.

Based in Buffalo, N.Y., Birdair has come a long way from its origins in 1956, when founder Walter Bird created radomes and rapid deployment command shelters for the military during the Cold War era. Seeing the commercial possibilities for these air-filled structures, Bird applied this technology to bulk storage units and removable sports facility covers. Even his home benefited from this exciting technology, sporting an air-supported pool enclosure to provide year-round use during Buffalo’s harshest winters. In 1957, this structure was featured on the cover of LIFE magazine as a glimpse of life in the future.

Today, Birdair carries on Mr. Bird’s innovative spirit, working with architects and owners in the construction of tensile architectural structures of all sizes and complexities. To date, our company has completed more than 300 major installations in more than 30 countries, requiring almost 40 million square feet of architectural fabric membrane. These dynamic structures – created for sports, retail, commercial, transportation and other industries – have been erected in the most geographically diverse settings, from the Arctic Circle to Saudi Arabia; from St. Petersburg, Fla. to Paris, France; from Perth, Australia to Vancouver, British Columbia and beyond.

Birdair’s mission is to satisfy the client completely. By utilizing the versatility of tensile fabric membrane and steel cable systems, no architectural vision is beyond reach.

Since 1992, Birdair, Inc. has been a division of the Taiyo Kogyo Corporation, a Tokyo-based custom architectural company. For more than 50 years, the Taiyo Kogyo Corporation has continued to develop and grow into several industries, leading to the establishment of the Taiyo Kogyo Group, which is dedicated to finding solutions to challenging membrane structure projects worldwide.

To find out more about how Birdair can help you with your next award-winning design, contact us today.