The 70th Frankfurt Book Fair was held in Frankfurt, Germany from October 10th to 14th. The annual Book Fair host events with authors and industry experts from around the world. The membrane structure of the Pavilion functioned as the main stage of the fair, being used for various events such as readings, award ceremonies, press conferences, as well as for musical and culinary highlights.

The planner of the event was tasked to design a temporary structure which could easily be built, de-constructed, stored and reconstructed. The architects faced the challenge of creating a temporary yet solid structure, with the installation and dismantling process being as effortless as possible. Taiyo Europe was contracted for the engineering, fabrication, supply, and installation of the membrane material, as well as the de-installation and cleaning of the pavilion upon the conclusion of the fair.

The completed pavilion is a self-supporting wooden structure with a total plan area of 480 square meters and a height of 6.5 meters. The structure is fitted with 960 square meters of white translucent membrane material. The designed structure resembling a shell from the outside was described as “a parametric transformation of a bookshelf into a space-forming construction” by the structural engineer Bollinger + Grohmann.

Taiyo Europe, as well as MakMax Group, has extensive experience in the fabrication and delivery of pavilions and facilities for events and expositions. From large scale projects such as the main boulevard for the Milano Expo 2015; fitted with approximately 65,000 square meters of PVC membrane, to smaller projects such as the entrance canopy for the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2015 in commemoration of its award to Frei Otto, the temporary structures are eye-catching as well as functional, and provides a unique backdrop to the event.