'sleeping beauty' reinvents frei otto's multihalle, the largest timber gridshell structure to date

on the occasion of the venice architecture biennale, the saai at karlsruhe institute of technology presents sleeping beauty, an exhibition dedicated to frei otto‘s largest timber lattice shell structure to date. following a previous exhibition on the architect’s body of work, curators sally below and prof. dr. georg vrachliotis focus on the multihalle and its experimental history, as well as its upcoming future.

organized by saai and designed by FAR, an architecture firm led by marc frohn and mario rojas, the exhibition offers visitors a double view of the frei otto and carlfried mutschler structure. looking back at the past through original material, it highlights the building’s experimental history and illustrates how it represents an ‘open space’ for an ‘open society’ through its spatial qualities and integration into the urban topography and its greenery. most importantly, ‘sleeping beauty’ looks towards the future, as the city of mannheim is working with a dedicated group of artists, architects, local residents, citizens, engineers, and universities on a new sustainable concept to ensure the multihalle’s long-term preservation.

the exhibition title nods to the process of reinventing the use of the structure, following a period of standstill. originally planned as a temporary building for the 1975 bundesgartenschau (federal garden exhibition) in mannheim, germany, the multihalle still stands as the largest timber gridshell structure in the world to date, 40 years after its construction.