On October 30th, 2014 the Tor Nord on the premises of the Messe Frankfurt has been awarded the Special Award for Sustainable Steel Architecture of the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). The project had already been declared a winning project of the 2014 Iconic Awards by the German Design Council.
The Project A highly visible white oval roof covers the control area of the main gate of the Frankfurt trade fair, creating a new landmark at the city entrance. The oval form stands out against the orthogonal buildings of the fairground and the diversity of directions focussing at the main gate, enabling easy orientation.
The supporting structure of the roof recalls natural, grown forms. This effect is not due to intentional formal mimicry. It results from a parametric design strategy and its mathematical and geometrical principles.
Like a tree, the roof’s structure resonates with the specific conditions of the site, thus creating a formal expression with striking logic. The roof displays the intrinsic beauty of the laws of nature, the construction’s delicacy and its elegant details. Close cooperation of planners and builders made this possible.
MESSE FRANKFURT – TOR NORD A highly visible white oval roof covers the control area of the main gate of the Frankfurt trade fair, creating a new landmark at the city entrance. The oval form stands out against the orthogonal buildings oft he fairground and the diversity of directions focussing at the main gate, enabling easy orientation.
The construction consists of an irregular grid of steel lamella, which are oriented according to the loads and forces in the structure.
