Synopsis

The Ephemeral Cathedral of Créteil (Paris, France) is a gridshell structure made of composite materials. Built in 2013, this religious edifice of 350m2 is a temporary church meant to gather the parishioners during the two-years renovation of their permanent cathedral. This large-scale prototype represents a first in the building industry, which still shows excessive apprehension for the use of non-traditional materials such as composites, especially when it comes to structural applications. Based on a previous successful experience the gridshell was prefabricated and erected by the parishioners themselves.

Acknowledgement

First of all, the authors would like to thank the Catholic Church of Créteil for their trust and their courage, which permitted to get into this ambitious and successful project. Secondly, the authors would greet the engineers from T/E/S/S, which have developed this challenging project during 18th months. They made a valuable work and permitted research works to become a reality throughout this amazing edifice. They also thank the firm Viry for the supervision of construction works, including the delicate erection stage. Thirdly, the authors would like to thank warmly all the people involved in the construction process: the numerous parish’s volunteers, the technicians and researchers from the Laboratory Navier and the engineers from T/E/S/S and Viry firms. Beyond the technic, their enthusiasm made this project a powerful human experience. Fourthly, the authors would like to thank the local firms for their work: BATEM (concrete), Eloi (steel), Esmery Caron (fabric), Solutions Composites (composite material), Axmann (connections), ENSG.

Facts & Figures

  • 350m2
  • 2kms of GFRP tubes
  • 500k$
  • 1 day for erection

Client & Design

Partners

  • Viry