The invisible construction site at Lunéville7/23/2004

The Layher Cassette Roof on the Chateau - About a year ago, a fire devastated large tracts of the Chateau at Lunéville, France. Experts estimate that craftsmen will need six to ten years to renovate the severely damaged areas. For this period, the many damaged wings of the chateau must be securely protected against harmful weather effects.

To assemble the more than 4,000 m² Layher cassette roof, the scaffolding erectors of the company Antoine Echafaudage had to comply with numerous requirements imposed by the building authorities of the département, in particular that the interim roof was not to disfigure the protected building. Even before that, the erectors had met the most important requirement. Thanks to the high availability of the cassette roof and with the aid of the rapid delivery service, assembly was possible without any delay. This was particularly important as otherwise immense damage would have been suffered by the building's contents.

These factors were taken fully into account by the cassette roof, to the complete satisfaction of all concerned. In addition, the design of the cassette roof allows the removal of single cassettes, to facilitate the delivery of materials to the site by crane from above. However, it is also possible to install transparent cassettes later on, for considerable enhancement of the daylight conditions underneath the roof.

The strong support for the eight individual protective roofs was provided by around 10,000 m² of Layher Allround scaffolding. The largest of these temporary roof structures has a span of 30 m. The truss bays had to be pre-assembled on the ground and positioned on the Allround scaffolding by crane, and the intermediate bays right at the top had to be covered.

Because of the total installed quantity of 450 tons of scaffolding and roof material and the very long time it will be in use, this site is currently one of the most important applications for the cassette roof in Europe. Planners and craftsmen can now take the time needed for painstaking renovations, because they can be sure that the Layher roof will be weather-proof.

The aerial view shows the sheer scale of the site, and also the extraordinary merging of the cassette roof with the undamaged sections of the roofscape. If you didn't know about the damage, it wouldn't be noticeable.