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PaperweightJapanese Pavilion, Expo 2000,
Hanover, Germany
2000 (now demolished)
Shigeru Ban, Frei Otto, Buro HappoldPhoto: © Adam Wilson, courtesy Buro Happold
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When Japanese architect Shigeru Ban asked Frei Otto to collaborate on the design of the Japanese Pavilion for the Hanover Expo 2000, it was with an unusual request: to design a recyclable paper structure reflecting the Expo’s environmental theme. The design they came up with, developed with British engineering firm Buro Happold, used cardboard tubes 12.5 centimetres in diameter and up to 40 metres long, to form a grid shell, whose rippled tunnel-like shape was developed to better withstand lateral loading.
The foundations were primarily formed from boxes of sand rather than concrete, while joints were initially proposed to be taped for flexibility, with a roof covering of a waterproof paper membrane, originally developed for delivery bags. However while paper had been approved as a building material in Japan, unfortunately German building regulations could not approve it as the sole superstructure, and an additional timber inner structure had to be developed, while timber and metal replaced taped joints and a PVC membrane was added over the paper one, because of fire safety concerns.
But at 73.8m long, 25m wide, and 15.9m high, the resulting 3,600 square metre roof structure was still an incredible building when it opened, both structurally and experientially: a lightweight structure with an even lighter footprint.
(rgw)
Photo: Hiroyuki Hirai, CC by 2.0
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