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 illustration: Various Architects
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Arts Alliance mobile venueworldwideThe client for the Arts Alliance mobile venue set a tough brief. The structure had to be capable of being erected within two weeks and when demounted it had to fit inside a reasonable number of shipping containers for transportation across the world. It also had to be of the highest quality architecturally. Working with Various Architects, who are based in Norway, together with specialist contractor ESS, we developed a structural concept that has met the challenge. The travelling theatre has an ultra low-weight steel roof with radiating steel tension spokes and a perimeter steel structure, like a bicycle wheel. The exterior skin is self-supporting and consists of a web of inflatable fabric tubes coated in PVC, with translucent inflated pillows as infill. Aluminium portal frames are used for bracing. The Arts Alliance theatre is believed to be the largest mobile entertainment venue in the world — in plan it measures 90m by 40m. It will provide a spectacular environment for the public and artists alike. It has another trick up its sleeve too: effectively composed of a kit of parts, small sections of the structure can be erected as self-stable entities and hired out for smaller events. Spark Award 2008 |
