Fort 4 Mortsel
General information
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Home page
http://www.nomadconcept.com
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Location address
Mortsel / Antwerp
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Location country
Belgium
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Year of construction
2002
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Function of building
Historical buildings & monuments
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Degree of enclosure
Open structure
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Climatic zone
Temperate - cold winters and mild summers
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Primary function of the tensile structure
- Rain protection
Description
Fort 4 in Mortsel was initially a military building. It has an internal court, which has a rectangular part and a wider round end. The rectangular part of the inner court is about 12m x 55m. The circular part has a radius of about 12m and an opening angle of 140°. The surrounding brick walls are about 12m high. The building is classified as a monument. The tensile roof covers about 675m².
The membrane roof was designed for the summer season to provide shelter for cultural open-air events. Since the roof will be set up and demounted regularly with a limited crew and without cranes, the setting up procedure and handling was studied to be simple and fast.
The tensile roof for Fort 4 unifies functional (weather protection) as well as artistic aspects. The shape reminds of vaults in gothic cathedrals. The light roof is interacting with the massive walls by means of convex and concave arches. The alternate change of the height of the anchoring points is forming the arches.
In the statical analysis only a medium upward wind load (since the surrounding walls protect the roof) and a minor wind pressure was verified. A PVC-coated polyester fabric of about 750gr/m² has been used, reinforced with stainless steel AISI316 cables. Up to now the structure did behave quite well, even under strong winds.
The cultural events at Fort 4 are very successful, acoustic performances are high, light quality (in combining transparent and translucent materials) as well as the out-door feeling are pleasing. The interplay of functional and artistic properties improves the architectural perception in this place.
Description of the environmental conditions
Material of the cover
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Cable-net/Fabric/Hybrid/Foil
Fabric
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Material Fabric/Foil
Polyester
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Material coating
PVC
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Weight (g/m2)
750
Main dimensions and form
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Covered surface (m2)
675
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Total width (m)
12
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Form single element
Anticlastic
Duration of use
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Temporary or permanent structure
Temporary
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Design lifespan in years
06-10
Involved companies
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Architects
The Nomad Concept
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Engineers
VUB, Afd. Arch., Faculteit Toegepaste Wetenschappen
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Contractors
Wittevrongel Zeilmakerij
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Suppliers
SERGE FERRARI
Editor
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Editor
Marijke M. Mollaert
