Biggest Glass Palace in the World

More than 240 meters long and 80 meters wide, and with 1140 tons of glass suspended from a single-layer steel barrel vault, the great central hall at the new Leipzig fair, designed in cooperation by von Gerkan Marg und Partner and Ian Ritchie Architects, is one of the world's most spectacular glass structures. Underlying the design is Ian Ritchie's penchant for transparent enclosures, already seen in such famous structures as the great greenhouses at La Villette Science Museum in Paris and the glass towers at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid. Here in Leipzig, the glass envelope is hung from, and is visually separate from, the steel filigree of the barrel vault. Low-iron glass and the absence of any framing to the glazing enhance the transparency, while the vault form means that views out of the space in all directions are always perpendicular to the glass surface, limiting reflection. The book illustrated the building and its construction with photographs and design drawings. An essay describes the design objectives and issues, and Ingerid Almaas provides a critical view of this remarkable project.