How do you design a space that can both accommodate a 75-metre-long airship whilst simultaneously creating an experience for visitors? The solution for the Düsseldorf-based architectural practice Smyk Fischer Architekten BDA was a semi-cylindrical timber structure, inspired by the zeppelin itself – where form, function and construction work in harmony.
Luftschiffhangar Mülheim was completed in just ten weeks, despite a complex construction.
“The choice of timber as a building material enables a high degree of prefabrication and therefore rapid assembly. The timber construction company that carried out the work and the mechanical engineers were involved early in the design phase to be able to influence the subsequent construction process in decisive ways. We used BIM-supported planning, which enabled model-based communication,” says Patrick Fischer of Smyk Fischer Architekten BDA.
Cradle-to-Cradle
In accordance with the Cradle-to-Cradle principle, which sees all material as a resource, all building materials are sortable and therefore recyclable. The materials used are registered in a digital building resource passport in the Madaster materials registry.
The floor covering of concrete slabs comes from a former logistics centre and is a good example of circular thinking in new construction. The substructure for the slabs consists of the old hangar floor from the previous building, which was crushed and reused on site.
The Luftschiffhangar in Mülheim is not only technically impressive, but also an example of how sustainable building with timber can be combined with industrial functionality and architectural requirements. With its cathedral-like expanse and glowing aluminium skin, the hangar today stands as a symbol for the future of building – anchored in the site's history and focused on future needs.
The hangar functions as a flexible venue for concerts, conferences and other public events – with the airship as both installation and brand carrier.
Construction
The building's structure consists of 15 glulam arches with a span of 42 metres, joined entirely without steel in over 590 connection points.
The roof consists of cross-laminated timber of spruce, which gives the entire volume stability. The 92-metre-long, 42-metre-wide and 26-metre-high hall is additionally clad in 7,000 m² of aluminium sheet, whose conical panels enabled a seamless surface despite the building's unique form.
Enormous doors
The two enormous doors with an area of 400 m² each and a total weight of 72 tonnes presented a particular technical challenge.
“They can be opened in less than five minutes using electric motors and rotating hinges that are designed with the same precision as a bridge construction,” says architect Martin Smyk.
Text: Mattias Boström Photo: Smyk Fischer Architekten BDA, Annika Feuss
