MOVABLE ROOFS ON CIRCULAR AREAS

By Félix Escrig.

University of Sevilla
School of Architecture
Department of Structures
Seville, Spain

Abstract

As we have explained in precedent papers concerning on Mobile

structures on circular areas (Ref. 1) a lot of improvements have
been done with different types of solutions capable of be extended
or removed in a short period of time.

The draft of the working group on Retractable Roofs guided by

Ishii (Ref. 2) is a complete guide of the most important buildings
with these characteristics. Then is not important tu us to be original
or to introduce new ideas in a field that has been widely explored.

Nevertheless they are only a few amount of pieces already build

and each of them are masterpieces done with considerable effort,
imagination and difficulties. In some cases they have problems to
work correctly. In other they are temptatives to be improved. In all
cases they need a careful attention to be understood.

Our team proposes new and economic movable roofs on arenas for
multipurpose uses and has designed a considerable number of them
and even they are being erected.

1. Precedents

The best precedents concerning in covering arenas with movable

tensile roofs are the proposals of Bergeman & Schlaich (Ref . 3).
The Montreal Olympic Stadium (Fig. 1) covers 20.000 sqm. And
unfortunately has been substituted because its problems (Fig. 2). The
Nimes Roman Arena (Fig. 3) is based in an inflated bubble that needs
several days to be erected and removed (Fig. 4). The Zaragoza arena
(Fig. 5) has a central part that hangs from wires and slides below
them but it has important problems with drainage (Fig. 6).

Other projects under construction seem to progress with new

solutions. The Pulsar Dome by Matthys Levy is a tensegrity structure
with the central ring removable (Fig. 7) and the movable part
overlapping on the permanent surface. Other solutions based in
steel space frames are called Retractable Roofs and in some cases
 the material cover is fabric. In general they are expensive solutions
than permits different forms and they are able to carry greater
loads. The Komatsu Dome (Fig. 9) must be cited.

Fig. 1. Montreal Olympic Stadium.

Fig. 2. Deploying process of Montreal

Olympic Stadium Cover.

Fig. 3. Nimes Roman Arena

b

Fig. 4. Deploying process of Nimes

Roman Arena.
a c
Fig. 5. Zaragoza arena roof.

Fig. 6. Deploying process of Zarago-

za retractable roof.

Fig. 7. Pulsar Dome.

Fig. 8. Komatsu Dome.

2. New proposals

As the project of bullring of Zaragoza did (Fig. 5) a current

requirement of this kind of projects is that they must have a
permanent ring covered over the seats and a removable part on the
circular arena. In some cases even must be completely removed.
In the precedent examples this condition is partially satisfied by
folding the textile roof in a parcel around a central hanged mast.
Fig. 9 shows how a conical surface can folds around this central
edge but can not do the same if we want do the same around the
other ring at less we make little triangular pieces (Fig. 10). Our
proposal is to use a surface with a folded pattern like Fig. 11 that
folded has the length necessary to open completely (Fig. 12) and
that can be also folded around the central mast (Fig. 13).

Other proposals are being studied although by the moment they

have non been applied to particular designs. Fig. 14 shows a radial
folding system and Fig. 15 a twisting opening solution.

Fig. 9. Folding a conical surface

around a central mast.

Fig. 10. Imposibility of folding a

conical surface on the perimeter.

Fig. 11. Folding patern of a circle.

Fig. 12. Deployed state of the previous

design.
Fig. 13. Radial folding system.

Fig. 14. Twisting opening system.

3. Jaen Arena Movable Roof

Jaen is a historical town of Spain placed on a hill was the castle

tops the city that flows down in houses, palaces and a cathedral
that is a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance. The bullring is at the
feet of the city open to the valley (Fig. 15).

The building is a typical amphitheatre with two levels as shown in

Fig. 16 capable for 11.000 seats and toped with a roofed gallery
suported by means of 48 radial frames. The 80 m. of diameter
corresponds 45 m. to the arena and the rest to the stands. We propose
to cover this part with a permanent canvas tensed by means of 36
points from a new concrete ring build at the top (Fig. 17) and
 supported with 8 masts 18 m. height (Figs. 18 and 19). The central
area is solved with the solution proposed in Fig. 11.

The main characteristics of the project are illustrated in Figs. 20 and 21

while the process of raising is explained in Fig 22.

Figs. 23 to 35 show the process of construction.

Fig. 15. Jaen from the bullring to the

castle.

Fig. 16. The bullring of Jaen before

the works.
Fig. 17. New concrete ring at the top
of the building.

Fig. 18. Graphic image of the external

view.

Fig. 19. Internal view.

Fig. 20. Proposal of covering in plan.

Fig. 21. Schetch of the main elements.

Fig. 22. Erecting process.

Fig. 23. Positioning the masts.

Fig. 24. Hanging the canvas.

Fig. 25. Hanging the central mast.

Fig. 26. Conecting the permanent roof.

Fig. 27. Tensing the roof.

Fig. 28. The bullring in use before

finishing the works.
Fig. 29. Positioning the movable part.

Fig. 30. Hanging system of the retrac-

table roof.

Fig. 31. Radial patern of the movable

roof.

Fig. 32. Folded state of the cover.

Fig. 33. Deployed state of the cover.

Fig. 34. Folding process.

4. Other Proposals

We have proposed to cover other arenas with similar solutions and

some of them have been accepted to be build.

Figs. 35 to 37 show a tensigrity structure which central part can be

removed as in Jaen. We thing that for strong winds as in Algeciras
blows, near Gibraltar, it is a very convenient design.

Figs. 38 to 40 shows a quite different solution for Burgos (Spain)

with historical references to the main chapel of the cathedral (Fig.
45). The star pattern of the central opening must be justified because
this gothic references.
Fig. 35, 36 and 37. Algeciras arena
roof proposal.

Fig. 38, 39 and 40. Burgos arena roof

proposal.

Fig. 41. Condestable Chapel at the

Burgos Cathedral.

5. References

1. Escrig, F. Sanchez,J. & P.Valcarcel J. Mobile Structures Covering

Circular Areas.
2. Ischii ,K. Chairman of the IASS working group on Retractable Roof
Structures. Recomendations for Retractable Roofs. IASS 1996 (Draft).
3. Holgate, A. The Art of Structural Engineering. The Work of
Jorg Schlaich and his Team. Axel Menges Ed. 1997