International Airshow

Farnborough (GB) 2006 / 2008 / 2010

The temporary pavilion of the Italian holding Finmeccanica is to be rebuilt for 4 weeks every two years, therefore the self-supporting steel structure and the two-layer cover are designed and manufactured to be dismantled.

80% of the façade, with its height of 8 m, are made of bended circular tubes with attached aluminium profiles, in which 48 vertical façade cushions are mounted.

The roof consists of steel girders, an airtight welded membrane cushion and form-giving wind suction cables. The roof cushion is circumferentially fastened to the eaves.

Although an apparently vacuum geometry the façade consists of overpressure cushions: The concave impression results from the transparent outer skin, which gives a view on the inner cushion layer.

Data

formTL
roof-membrane + façade:
consulting, structural design, workshop drawings

architect
Stefano Gris

fair/steel designer
Groupo Bodino/Turin

membrane manufacturer
Canobbio

recently published
Stefano Gris
Architettura pneumatica Finmeccianica:
il padiglione 12-2006
ISBN 88-7115-508-4

photos
Cristian Guizzo

triangle
49 m x 34,6 m

facade filed width
between 1,8 bis 2,4 m

Material

roof cushion
both sides PES/PVC type I

facade cushion
inner: PVC-PES type I
outer: clear PVC-film 500 µm