Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas's ambitious project is an impressive structure. The new complex is characterised by an undulating glass and steel roof, which is more than 30m high at some points. The new Milan trade fair is one of Europe's biggest exhibition grounds. It is a magnificent and colossal structure occupying 530,000sqm of floor space, with eight pavilions and only 12 pillars. Its construction was completed in little more than two years, which given the size and intricacy of the project is a record of sorts.
The connecting links between the exhibition pavilions are mostly covered by innovative steel-glass-structures. At the main entrance is the logo of the trade fair, which is a doubly-curved free-formed surface. The free-formed glass roof is called as the sail because of its shape. It seems to draw the inspiration for its form from the neighboring Alps. It links the individual exhibition halls along the main axis of the trade fair. The glass sail stretches to 1,300m and is composed of 100,000 pieces of glass, each one different and flat to avoid using any curved elements. The glass sail has a surface area of 47,000sqm and weighs around 9,000 tons. It is a dynamic structure and its vitality creates its own architectural landscape. The shape of the sail looks like a pulsating landscape, which continuously changes its characteristics. It generates an experience that is alive and infuses the visitors with its vibrancy.
There are 38,000 struts and 16,500 nodes in the sail. The glass for the sail is a single sandwich unit consisting of two panes of 8mm glass laminated with a 0.76mm polyvinyl butyral interlayer.The glass was then glazed directly to the structure..
The fact that it is not possible to conceal the steel underneath the glass structure because of the latter's transparency further added to the challenge of building this mammoth structure without compromising on its aesthetics. Therefore, to build the support for the sail, straight T-section struts were joined with double-disc nodes to create the surfaces. Almost all structural components were bolted to improve field operations and allow the structure to be factory-finished with minimal welding. Almost every double-disc node on the project was custom-made to create the special angles of the free-form surfaces. This was difficult to execute but finally it brought alive the architect's vision of the glass sail.
Double-glazed units with high-performance coatings were used in the logo to limit the heat gain during summer and the energy loss during winter. More than 40 per cent of the logo roof surface was covered with insulated aluminium panels, further enhancing the physical properties of the envelope and influencing the energy efficiency of the building. The engineers also conducted climatic studies to analyse the temperature conditions during summer days under the sail
canopy.
The trade fair provides a people-friendly meeting place and a forum for exchanging ideas. The great transparent cover transforms space and represents the continuity of the vision. The ability to create a single-layered, fully glazed structural grid that is alive with design pushes the technological boundary well beyond the current standards that impresses visitors and exhibitors alike.
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