Giant scaffold extends Strasbourg station

The 20 m high, 140 m long scaffold was erected in nine weeks by scaffolding erection company Burkart Gerüstbau GmbH, said Layher.

The new structure encloses what used to be the forecourt of the station, and the arch of the roof sweeps across the hall's barrel–like cross section. The scaffolding is positioned close to both the inside and outside of this arch, and it matches in height the profile of the roof, level by level.

Other construction activity requires that the floor area remain as clear as possible, and the scaffold erectors provided steel sections to bridge ceiling spans. Swivelling spindles fastened to the rafters of the old station roof helped support the scaffolding, too.

The construction prepares the station for the extension of France's TGV high–speed train service to Germany. The last stop before crossing the border is at Strasbourg station, built in 1878 by Johann Eduard Jacobsthal.