A roof with no fixed shape.
Originally designed as a modern silhouette of Mount Fuji, the roof of the Sony Center in Berlin has a diameter of 107 meters x 82 meters constructed in glass and steel. The Trendelkamp mission was to develop a roof access service system that would provide complete access to every point on the roof while minimizing weight and enhancing architectural appeal.
The cable car approach.
Trendelkamp developed a system with similar operational principles used in a cable car. The system consisted of a lower carriage that drives the large main ring of the roof while an upper carriage drives the roof ring, which has a variable diameter. These two support carriages are connected by tension cables, which an access gondola is fastened and can reach every point on the roof.
Highly adjustable.
Due to the variable geometry of the roof and asymmetrically arranged air support (inclined at 8 degrees), the span of the tension cables vary between 39 m and 70 m. Hence, the tension force of the cables needs to be continuously adjusted.
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