Completed in 1998, the Paper Dome project is located close to a spa resort in a region which experiences heavy snow in winter. This dome houses the workshop of a construction company, which had previously been without a roof and therefore out of use throughout the winter months. Shigeru Ban designed a large roof with arches spanning 28 meters, a peak height of 8 meters and covering an area 25 meters in width. Because the cardboard tubes cannot be bent, each straight tube is linked to the next by joints of laminated wood. The roof-cover is provided by elements in plywood in which a circular hole has been drilled, thereby providing light, and the whole framework is covered by polycarbonate plates. The crosspieces and reinforcing steel arms placed inside make it possible to support the additional loads which result from the heavy snowfall.
