Mountain Productions of Wilkes-Barre, PA, designed and erected a 120'x240' (37x74m) temporary roof, supported by box truss for protection from the weather, for the 5,000 guests who attended the dedication and opening of the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York City, held last September 15. Seventeen tractor-trailer loads of materials were needed to construct what was the world's largest freestanding clear span truss-supported roof (below).
Rising to a height of 56' (17m) in the front, and capable of supporting 4,500lb (2,041kg), the "roof" was constructed in four sections measuring 120'x64' (37x20m) that were covered in 18oz (504g) translucent white vinyl. It provided unobstructed views of New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, and the hexagonal-shaped museum. The side-supported truss was held in place by 32 CM Lodestar chain hoists, attached to tiers of 230'-long (70m) scaffolding; pedestrian walkways bordered the sides of the seating area. The scaffolding was counterbalanced by hundreds of sheets of plywood, which formed 86,000lb (39,010kg) of ballast calculated to withstand winds of 60mph. Mountain Productions used AutoCAD and engineering design analysis programs to create the unique roof design.