Modern and functional: With the new Hall 3C, Zaha Hadid Architects continue the striking triangular supporting structure of their architectural twin, Hall 3A - but in much larger dimensions. Instead of 95 metres in length, the trapezoidal exhibition building with its ground plan, which unmistakably bears the signature of the star architect and winner of the Pritzker Prize, who died in 2016, will be up to 145 metres long - with the same width of 85 metres. The 10,200 square metre roof construction drops from a height of 20 metres to 13 metres to the south with an inclination of four degrees. In addition to acoustic advantages, this slight roof pitch offers thermal and energetic advantages. Glass facades reaching down to the ground on the south side of the exhibition hall allow plenty of daylight to flood into the enormous interior with around 9,600 square metres of exhibition space.

Visionary design in the Franconian metropolis

Since the ground-breaking ceremony in April 2016, Max Bögl has played a major role in the future of the exhibition in Nuremberg. The Max Bögl Group commissioned for the complex shell and steel construction work is repeating the successful cooperation with the NürnbergMesse builder-owner, as with the predecessor buildings 3A and 4A. The construction of Hall 3C will not only create another architectural milestone that is intended to attract even more visitors and exhibitors to the metropolitan region. The new building will also serve as a "buffer hall" to compensate for the loss of exhibition space in future renovations of the existing halls, which are up to 40 years old.

Precision lifting of the steel three-belt trusses

The enormous interior of the extravagant corner building is characterised by wave-shaped beams in the area of the steel space truss truss roof structure. Up to four metre high three-belt trusses with widening and swivelling bottom chords span the entire width of the hall without columns. Due to their enormous dimensions, the impressive three-belt trusses were transported to the construction site exclusively at night by their own special vehicles. The 3D-based plant and assembly planning as well as the production of the large segments in the steel structure at the Sengenthal headquarters posed a special challenge to the steel structure experts at Max Bögl.

Tree supports with striking fan structure

On the construction site, two mobile cranes in tandem lift ensured that even the largest steel girders weighing up to 50 tons were lifted precisely and anchored securely to the external supports. The architectural highlight of the exhibition hall is the pointed arch of these steel columns, which converge at the top and grow out of the interior like treetops with their fanned out branch structures. The steel "tree supports" are also manufactured in a complex process in the steel structure of the group of companies.

Another milestone in steel construction assembly

Until completion at the end of 2018, around 2,300 tonnes of steel and 3,000 square metres of glass will be installed in the technically challenging Hall 3C, among other things. The challenging part of the construction task currently follows in the area of the inclined west façade with the "ship's bow beams" not yet installed in Hall 3A. These are three-belt trusses tapering to the south, whose lower and upper chords meet at a common point in the upper chord level. The main assembly of the steel structure is scheduled for completion in October of this year.