This competition-winning design to transform a natural ice rink located in the heritage-protected region of the Harz, the highest mountain range in Northern Germany, into a professional ice arena that offers year-round multi-functional use for sports and cultural events, also serves the purpose of promoting tourism in the region.
The spatially curved saddle of the roof is the key element of the scheme. It provides weather protection without obstructing the spectacular view of the Harz mountain range. Through its modest details, the complex shape of the saddle surface gains clarity, revealing a structure comprised of a membrane supported by a cable net. Once the membrane and the cable net have been prestressed separately against the edge, they are linked at the nodes of the net. An edge beam made of double-curved sheet metal encloses the levels in the shape of a base ring and is supported on the two lowest points of its crimped axis. The horizontal bearing forces are short-circuited by an underground, centrically pre-stressed concrete tie. In this project, the design process has been characterized by a particularly consistent material reduction on the edge beam. Beyond the conventional form-finding process under individual loading conditions, the designers strove to achieve a balance between all impacts on the structure without neglecting its aesthetics.
