joining the ?BUGA fibre pavilion? in the german city of heilbronn is another temporary structure that serves as a pioneering architectural attraction. the ?BUGA wood pavilion?, designed by the institute for computational design and construction (ICD) and the institute for building structures and structural design (ITKE) at the university of stuttgart, features a segmented wood shell that explores new approaches to digital timber construction.

image © ICD/ITKE university of stuttgart (also main image)
 
 
the enclosure is based on biological principles found in the plate skeleton of sea urchins, which have been studied by the ICD and the ITKE at the university of stuttgart for almost a decade. as part of the project, a robotic manufacturing platform was developed for the automated assembly and milling of the pavilion?s 376 bespoke hollow wood segments ? a process that ensures that all segments fit together like a three-dimensional puzzle. the wooden roof spans a total of 30 meters (98ft) creating a large space for events and concerts.
image © ICD/ITKE university of stuttgart
 
 
in order to minimize material consumption and weight, each wood segment is built up from two thin plates that plank a ring of edge-beams on top and bottom, forming large scale hollow wooden cases with polygonal forms. the bottom plate includes a large opening, which constitutes a distinctive architectural feature and provides access to the hidden connections during assembly. in the assembled...