In December 2020, the time had finally come – in Corona times, this is a real highlight, because regular trade fair operations have not been possible since the beginning of the pandemic. With the new South Entrance, Messe Duesseldorf has created a prestigious entrance directly on the banks of the Rhine with a view of the city. The roof, designed by the Duesseldorf architect Jurek Slapa, has a surface area of 7,800 square meters and is 20 metres high, running pointedly towards the Rhine. It stands on 19 slender concrete columns and consists of 94 rhombuses and rhombuses made of fiberglass fabric on the upper side. On the underside, a translucent polyester fabric allows daylight to shine through. Depending on the weather, the membrane roof offers either protection from the sun or from rain.
With a length of 170 metres and a width of 93 metres, it offers plenty of space for guests of trade fairs and congresses even before the actual site and the event rooms. At the same time, the 20 meter high roof combines all functions under one roof, from the forecourt to the light-flooded foyer and the new exhibition hall and integrates the neighbouring CCD South Congress Centre. The result is a sensitive transition to the existing architecture. The rhombus-shaped glass fiber cushions give it a lively structure, which is closed off by an aluminium frame. At nightfall, the fabric is illuminated and its exciting materiality is even more clearly visible.
More than 1,500 lights, each 2 m long, form the basis for the rhombus shape. The colour temperature was deliberately chosen to be 4,000 Kelvin, the luminaires of the IP67 protection class include the latest LED generation. The sophisticated lighting concept convinces with its enormous luminosity. Depending on the event, mood lighting or lighting scenes are provided. The complex cabling management with a simple pluggable solution was the responsibility of Wieland Electric GmbH. The installation time was only 3 weeks.
The next steps will involve the installation of steel sheets to optimize the current lighting concept, which will additionally convert the light into indirect light and illuminate the membrane roof even more homogeneously.
