Fabrication and erection of the roof of PVC-coated PES fabric for this project was seele’s responsibility. A delicate arrangement of wire ropes supports the roof. Ten steel cables form the inner tension ring. Spanning between the tension and compression rings are further cables supporting the 112 sections of the roof membrane. They rise gently from the inner ring to a high point where they are fixed to the top chord of the steel truss via a cable. From here, they are guyed back at a steeper angle to the bottom chord. The exceptional safety and quality standards of this project called for very precise prefabrication of the approx. 210sqm sections of roof fabric, no two of which are alike. This is where seele’s experience in the accurate fabrication of engineered fabrics really counts. Following detailed planning of the cutting pattern by seele, backed up by extensive materials testing, the sections of material can form the geometry given by the wire rope structure without creases. Various built-in and roof-mounted elements drain rainwater to specific points and provide perfectly positioned openings for roof access plus the electric cables for the floodlighting towers. Dispatch and delivery was carried out according to a strict logistics plan, which ensured efficient installation on site. The challenge for the erection crews was to attach the membrane sections to wire ropes that were not yet in their final positions – because only through the interaction with the membrane does the roof assume its final shape.
Reference overview and Header image: © photoshot/picturealliance/picturedesk.com, Jason Hawkes