Multi-Purpose Tent in Hamina

The town of Hamina is surrounded by a ring offortifications with seven bastion structures. One of these, dating from the early 19th century, has undergone an extensive, 20-year programme of restoration. On completion of thework, plans were made to use the location for various public events. Agreement was reached between the town and the conservation authorities to build a lightweight tent roof, so as not to compromise the character of the brick fortifications. Covering an area roughly 30? 60 m in extent, the roof provides a protected space that can accommodate seating for an audience of 4,000 people. The special form of the tent is an expression of itssimple system of construction: the membrane is supported by curved ridge cables fixed to fourV-shaped pairs of pylons and stayed by concave curved cables anchored in the ground.A1-mm polyester fabric with a non-combustible PVC coating was used for the skin. At their feet, the pylons are mounted with hinged fixings on concrete foundations. The cables consist of thin, twisted steel wires and have a load-bearing capacity of 50 tonnes.