New Trade Fair in Milan — Grid Topology and Structural Behaviour of a Free-Formed Glass-Covered Surface

Abstract

The connecting links between the exhibition pavilions of the new trade fair in Milan are mostly covered by innovative steel-glass-structures which are very attractive from an architectural point of view. At the main entrance the ‘Logo’ arises: A doubly-curved free-formed surface, which ascends to the sky like a volcano. With a height of 37 m, this structure will be identified from afar as the new fair's landmark. Further, a 1,300 m long and 30 m wide free-formed glass roof, the so-called ‘Vela’, links the individual exhibition halls along the main axis of the trade fair and reflects the nearby Alps in its architectural appearance. Emphasizing the ‘Logo’, besides the overall architectural concept, this paper mainly deals with the basic principles for the development of the grid topology and the characteristics of the structural system of the arbitrary curved free-formed surfaces.