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‚Baugespann‘ visualizes future urban developments in scale 1:1 by an inflated balloon-structure.
An array of helium filled balloons are tacked up along four inflated columns as pearls on a necklace. One balloon per floor outlines the envelop of the future volume - the structure visualizes the building right at its original location.

‚Baugespann‘ is inspired by the Swiss original aluminium structure.
The methode of publishing future building plans in scale 1:1 on site exists in Switzerland already for a long time and is even part of the construction permit procedure.
In the country of direct democracy, the inhabitants are early involved in the process and can directly express their opinion about building plans to the municipalities.

‚Baugespann‘ contributes to the publicity and potential of any urban area. It not only visualizes the future development but also creates space for public events.The project is directly linked with dealing with public space.
The marked spot between the balloons offers space for exhibitions, meetings, projections, screenings, festivals and manifestations for everybody. It can serve as a stage for various programms - open air cinema, lectures, concerts, fleamarket, playground, biergarden, cafe or lounge.
‚Baugespann‘ defines a space and creates a location - the site convertes from an unused emptiness to a public attraction. ‚Baugespann‘ makes space public.

‚The lightweight ‚Baugespann‘ is founded by concrete blocks and supported by diagonal braces.The 730 m3 of helium inside the 96 balloons produce a upwards drift of 7.2 kN. The structure gets additional stability by the 0,7 bar pressure of the inflated ETFE membrane column. The engineer offices ABT and ARUP have been calculating the structure for wind forces up to 4 Beaufort. The construction can be erected 'bottom-up' without any need of supporting cranes.

'Baugespann' has won an honourable mention at the 'Holland Property Plaza' public award during the Expo Real 2009 in Munich.

The project is supported bt the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture - Fonds BKVB.

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