Canopy in Pouilly-en-Auxois

Together with a museum pavilion (see Detail 7/8 2007), this barrel-shaped boathouse was built as part of a project to present the history of the Canal de Bourgogne. 30 m long and 11 m wide, the canopy has a frame of paper tubes connected via high-­performance pressure-die-cast aluminium joints and solid wooden dowels and screws. Nevertheless further metal components were necessary: trussed arches at both ends ­transfer wind loads. Intersecting arches and, for better protection against damp, the stilts upon which the structure is raised, are made in ­aluminium not paper. The frame is covered with almost invisible polycarbonate panels.