6
GA
/ Vol. 5 / No.9 / SEPTEMBER 2013
O
utside the snow lies thick
on the ground, the 360m
long hangar blends into
its surroundings and looks bleak,
unwanted and empty in the midst of
a European winter.
But inside ... well, inside there is
another world.
A bit of history
In 1938, Nazi Germany began
development of Brand-Briesen
Airfield for the Luftwaffe.
Russia's Red Army overran the
site in May, 1945, and occupied
the site after World War II,
adding a second runway and
nuclear-resistant command and
control facilities for the installed
fighter aircraft regiment.
With the reunification of
East Germany in 1989/1990, the
Soviet Army agreed to return all
military bases by 1994. Returned
to the Federal Government of
Germany in 1992, Cargolifter
AG bought the former military
airfield to construct airships.
The completed building (360 m
long, 210 wide and 107 high)
it stands as one of the largest
buildings on Earth by volume and
is the world's largest single hall
without supporting pillars inside.
The hangar was commissioned
as an airship hangar named
Aerium in November 2000,
but its intended occupant the
CL160 was never built.
And inside?
A luscious rainforest, tropical plants,
soft beach sand and swimming
pools. Inside the hall, the air
temperature is kept at a steady 26°C
and air humidity around 64%.
Instead of the hustle and bustle
one would expect in a hangar the
guests are relaxing in one of the pools,
sipping cocktails at the bar or simply
enjoy the great weather. Snow, cold,
thick jackets and freezing noses have
no place at Tropical Islands Resort.
Hangar
Gains New Life