Altar for the papal mass in Freiburg by Werner Sobek

Today at ten o'clock in the morning, a mass will take place on the Freiburg airport grounds, celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI. The designer of the temporary altar is Stuttgart architect Werner Sobek, who maximally utilized eco-friendly and recyclable materials in the construction. For security reasons, all details related to the project will only be published after the Pope's visit. A sacristy and other necessary facilities are integrated into the structure covering the ceremonial area. Fifteen meters above the altar, a translucent roof hovers, protecting the celebrants from any adverse weather conditions. During the construction of the altar, considerations were made to ensure that as much material as possible could be reused or recycled after the mass. The joints are easily disassembled (screws, clamps, tensioners), allowing not only for straightforward and quick assembly but also for the problem-free disassembly of the entire structure and the subsequent separation of the used materials. The furniture largely comes from the altar used during the Pope's visit in 2006 (also designed by Werner Sobek). The newly designed furnishings are conceived so that they can be further used in the church.
The lower structure of the altar consists of a steel scaffold covered with wooden slats. The back wall is made of a steel frame coated with PVC membrane panels (roof made of PTFE coated glass fibers) measuring 3.6 x 2 meters. Despite its enormous twenty-meter projection, the roof does not require any special construction but can be built from standard scaffolding used for the construction of temporary bridges. The construction also includes integrated lighting and a sound system to ensure that all visitors at today’s service have the best possible view and hearing.

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