The legendary scene with James Bond on the Schilthorn (2970 m above sea level) in the Bernese Oberland in the 1960s probably contributed significantly to making the sport of curling known worldwide. In the mountain village of Mürren, located below the summit, people have been indulging in this winter sport for a long time. Recently, it has even been possible to do so there, protected from the weather – under a wooden roof that stretches over the ice surface as a light construction.
In order not to touch the existing 25-centimetre-deep concrete pool and the surrounding cooling corridor with the installations for the ammonia refrigeration system, the foundations for the wooden supports were placed outside this existing area. It was clear to the architects from the outset that the supporting structure was to be made of untreated spruce wood. The primary girders consist of glued laminated timber girders with a cross-section of 52 by 52 centimetres. The distance between them is three metres. In order to make them statically effective, they were sub-tensioned with steel tension rods (M64). This way, they can withstand a snow load of nine kilonewtons per square metre. Transporting the components to car-free Mürren proved difficult. Especially when it came to the long primary girders. They therefore had to be cut in half and fitted with assembly joints.
Here is the report from FIRST (german).
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