Big top
The circus tent (also Chapiteau , from French chapiteau = capital ) is usually a tent with a round or oval floor plan. It serves the traveling circus as a venue for its performances. The technology for transportable tents of this size has only been around since the end of the 19th century. Previously, circus performances took place in permanent theater buildings such as the Cirque Olympique or in show booths .
Because of its enormous size, the tent roof consists of various individual tarpaulins, which are rolled or folded and transported and put together at the venue. The tent roof and the round screen now consist almost exclusively of fabric-reinforced PVC . At the beginning of the 20th century, they were still made from pure cotton fabric, which means that the tent soaks up with water after prolonged rain.
The tent is held in the middle by masts that were initially made of wood but are now made of steel. A distinction is made between round masts and lattice masts , with the latter severely obstructing the view. The most widespread are circus tents with four masts (four masters). Circuses used to travel with eight to twelve masts.
At the outer edge, the tent roof is supported by round poles to which the round screen is attached below. The roof tarpaulin must also be supported between the main masts and the circular poles. Storm poles, which are set up in the auditorium in front of the Gradin , are used for this purpose. The storm poles obstruct the view very much. Therefore, some circuses have been doing without it for some time and additionally tension the roof tarpaulin from the outside with ropes. This construction is often incorrectly referred to as a " self- supporting big top".
The masts are braced with steel ropes, which are tensioned by gripping hoists or pulleys . Steel anchors serve as fastening points. The tarpaulins are now tensioned with straps made of polyester fabric , with the tent anchors also serving as anchor points.
A Gradin is set up as seating in the tent . In the middle is the manege , on the front side the spectator entrance with the lighting desk above and opposite the artist entrance with the orchestra desk above it. Behind the artist's entrance is the saddle corridor , in which, among other things, the horses are saddled or props are temporarily stored.
Well-known manufacturers today are primarily the Hamburg tent builders Raap Planen und Zelte , the Italian tent builders Canobbio-Milano and Scola-Teloni , and before the Second World War also Tränkner & Würker from Germany.
Approval
Circus tents of 75 m 2 or more require a test book and an execution permit in accordance with Section 76, Paragraph 5 of the LBO, and an acceptance test must also be carried out. In Germany, the approval of such buildings is regulated in the respective state building regulations.
For outdoor tents, the regulations for the operation are temporary structures , while these provisions do not apply for products exported to halls tents. Acceptance of use is not mandatory here and is at the discretion of the organizer. It is then not carried out by the lower building supervisory authority , as is the case with outer tents , but by the TÜV, the caretaker or the fire brigade. The respective regulations of the host building apply; Specifications such as emergency exits and fire protection must be observed.
literature
- Christian Dupavillon: Architecture du cirque, Paris: Le moniteur 2001. ISBN 978-2281191363