In Saudi Arabia, a giant tent made of 300 tons of concrete was erected
In Saudi Arabia, a giant tent made of 300 tons of concrete was erected
The name “Bedayat” is translated from Arabic as “beginning” and is symbolic – the structure of the same name was created to celebrate the founding of the state of Saudi Arabia. Two factors make the facility unique. Firstly, it is the most quickly erected concrete structure, it took only one day for its construction. Secondly, it is also the most short-lived, as it will be dismantled immediately after the celebrations.
The concept of Bedayat is borrowed from the tents of the Bedouins, the desert nomads. There is nothing superfluous here, and at the same time almost all materials can be reused. The structure is made of concrete, but almost half of its 300 tons of weight is recyclable. The building was erected in an unusual way – from the top downwards, using a 156-ton concrete ring as the foundation. First, 14 cranes lifted it up and held it down while the builders attached a concrete “wrap” to the steel frame.
The temporary concrete tent was deliberately erected over the active helipad, and then carefully dismantled, restoring its operation. During its existence, it became a museum and an arena for showing films about the country’s history. For this purpose, the construction began with the ceiling – it became an improvised screen for projecting video footage.
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