Space Frames: Allianz Arena

Herzog & de Meuron Munich, Germany

From a distance, the building’s skin resembles blown glass, but up close, the arena reveals itself to be covered in plastic cushions made of ethylenetetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) foil a mere 0.2 millimeters thick, inflated by a constant stream of warm air. No two of the 2,784 diamond-shaped cushions are alike—each fits in one spot and one spot only, a feat of mass customization made possible thanks to computer modeling—and their installation required the talents of 35 mountain climbers. The cushions are illuminated by 5,344 lamps that change depending on which team is playing.

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/bts/archives/stadiums/06_allianz/overview.asp