Pavilion de l'Arsenal in Paris organized an exhibition about the development of the public spaces is Paris. Attention was paid to the past, the present and the future. One part of this exhibition is a double wall structure from ETFE foil. Buitink Technology developed, realized and assembled this construction on behalf of Pavilion de l'Arsenal.

On the outside of the structure full color pictures referring to the evolution of public spaces in Paris are printed. The construction consists in a special designed aluminum framework. On top two layers of ETFE foil are attached (double wall). The inner layer is transparent and the outer layer (with its pictures) is an ETFE foil, slightly translucent, diffusing slightly the ambient light.

Inflatable cushions

Inflatable cushions are placed between the two external ETFE foils, provided with pictures as well. Those cushions are automatically inflated and deflated with a few minutes interval. When inflated the pictures are visible from the outside (the pictures are pressed against the diffusive foil). When the cushions are deflated the pictures vanish until they are only visible as a shadow. In this way the different pictures are being presented to the visitors in an active way.

Why ETFE foil

In this project ETFE foil was chosen due to the possibilities of the material to provide transparent as well as slightly diffusive surfaces, its fire retardant properties and the possibility to provide the foil with prints.

Furthermore the structure is a square of about 8 x 8 m, and 7 meter high. The ETFE foil must be able to resist to quite strong forces without deformation during the whole exhibition time.

Project data:

Design and texts:	AWP, architects
Year of implementation:	2006