Pablo Neruda Railway Museum Roof Cover, Temuco, Chile

Started being built in 1929, it is recognized as a national monument in Chile since 1989. It is currently part of the Pablo Neruda Railway Museum, opened in 2004. The textile roofing is part of the comprehensive recovery plan of the building.
The building remodeling project was commissioned by Architectural Firm Chauriye Stäger Architects with whom we have collaborated in the design and development of textile roofing since 2009.
The Firm’s first intention was to achieve the flattest roofing possible on the outside, and a convex ceiling on the inside. However, some changes were made to avoid water or snow pooling. The height of the dome had to be raised but making sure that it looked flat to the pedestrians.
To complement these changes, by 2016 it is suggested that the intermediate beams and convex ceiling be removed; this convex ceiling is replaced by a concave one to reduce the web of the beams. To solve the textile surface (and reduce the stress it applies to the metal structure), concentric arches are laid out on the main beams. The double curvature surface is thus created as final approach.