Passager terminal, Warnemünde 

Since German unification 20 years ago, Warnemünde has developed into one of Germany’s most popular ports for cruise passengers. Passenger numbers are constantly on the increase and therefore additional passenger-handling facilities were necessary. As a provisional measure prior to completion of the new Warnemünde Cruise Center, the client, Hafen-Entwicklungsgesellschaft Rostock mbH, arranged for a temporary facility to be erected alongside Berth 7 in 2002. Designed by INROS Planungsgesellschaft, this temporary terminal is a lightweight tent structure that can be easily dismantled once it is no longer required. A lightweight façade of steel and glass surrounds the covered area of 60 x 15 m. As the building is primarily designed to provide shelter from sun and rain, the roof spans across the steel-and-glass walls, leaving a gap that permits a natural exchange of air during the summer. Four central masts in a row support the roof and form its high points: the two middle,

vertical masts are 14.50 m high, the two outer, raking masts 11 m long. The 921 m² roof covering is of PVC-coated polyester fabric. In order that the roof spans without folds or creases, the fabric was cut radially from the high points. However, the membrane cannot accommodate point loads and therefore it is attached to the four central masts via rings. To prevent ingress of rain at these points, transparent ETFE foil just 0.25 mm thick closes off the gap between ring and mast. Cables run in pockets along the scalloped edge of the membrane and are attached to 12 pin-ended posts. Two steel guy ropes tie each post to the ground and also tension the roof. A rain diverter fitted on top of the membrane along the edges channels rainwater towards the 12 posts which serve as downpipes. In the meantime, the building has been transferred to Berth 8 where it continues to serve as a passenger-handling facility.