Gigantic Pop-Up Fair: Oktoberfest | Giant Pop-Up Constructions - Germany | Free Documentary

[Music] it is the biggest festival in the world a gigantic beer-fueled pop-up construction huge party tents for over six million party-goers the eyes of the world are on the oktoberfest it would be pretty embarrassing if we didn't finish on time dizzying heights back-breaking work and constant time pressure it takes just 10 weeks to construct this unparalleled amusement park [Music] good good johnny pull a bit ropes off millions of wooden and steel components construction delays are not an option for the over 500 attractions come opening day they have to be ready to cope no second [Applause] [Music] chances in the heart of munich city center a plot of land the size of 50 football fields the hard work setting up the oktoberfest has just begun in 10 weeks people from all over the world will travel to germany's third largest city to visit this gigantic festival celebrating germany's gift to the world construction of the massive festival tents is a complex business their foundations are buried underground finding and excavating them is back-breaking work the foundations support the frame of the tent plumbers install the water and gas pipes each summer anew roughly three kilometers of water pipes per tent beams made of wood or steel are connected together to form the frame of each festival tent this is covered by enormous roof tarpons then come the side back and front walls made of wood every tent has an outdoor beer garden too each tent is held together by around 20 000 structural elements the festival tents are the most popular attractions around 7.5 million liters of beer are consumed here by the visitors over the course of the 16 day festival the famous hofboy tent can accommodate more visitors than any other 85 meters long 62 meters wide and 13 meters tall over seven and a half thousand square meters space for nearly ten thousand happy party-goers the contract for erecting this prestigious tent went to a new timber construction firm this year project manager ulrich fletcher a professional in this field he has responsibility for most of the oktoberfest tents but this time around most of his workers are new recruits he'll never manage it stop for the past 30 years the hawthway tent has been set up by another firm the design as well as many of the elements are now outdated and the plans are not up to date this poses a huge problem for project manager urish our predecessors naturally had experience with it and didn't bother writing anything else down as they knew where each element belonged so we're struggling now and it's very time consuming there are a lot of packages that are a mystery we have to open them up and see what's inside as a result the hofboy team are under significant pressure and time isn't on their side over 100 truckloads of unknown materials and hundreds of thousands of individual parts will be delivered over the next few weeks missing elements or incorrect assembly put completing the work on time in great jeopardy each delay causes a chain reaction that could result in the project spiraling out of control in contrast with other constructions where there's less time pressure we're under extreme time pressure here we have to work in a way that allows the subsequent crews to do their work and vice versa the workers toil away for six days a week their goal to complete the external structure in 12 days but already with the first step installing the roof on the frame this deadline is in danger new made to measure roof tarpaulins are provided for the purpose hauling the individual sheets into place is a tricky business they need to avoid any snags the tarplin itself can withstand gusts of up to gale force 10 almost 100 kilometers per hour and pool and pool the first sheet is ruined but troubleshooting 13 meters up proves to be difficult the cause remains unclear for the time being it's bad really bad there is no replacement tarpon available please not now the mishap costs project manager urlish valuable time right at the start of construction a tear like that in the roof tarp is very annoying it could be that a nail or piece of wood was sticking out who can say the front workers fix the roof section the next tarp mustn't get snagged as well the damaged sheet is taken off to the workshop it must be back again in two days until then the team continues their work after all most of the other tents are at a more advanced stage of construction by now the large and small festival tents represent just 38 of the over 500 attractions at the oktoberfest on the other side of the site 170 rides and amusements are being constructed with hundreds of smaller stalls in between it's the biggest festival in the world with over 6 million visitors each year [Applause] traditional businesses with histories dating back to the 19th century stand side by side with virtual reality amusement rides and adrenaline pumping large-scale thrill rats the roller coaster is the first of the rides to begin construction the operator ships in 50 truckloads of materials they have 20 days to assemble it and get approval from the authorities it's the largest portable roller coaster in the world it's unique feature five giant loops a truly impressive structure the 900-ton steel giant features a so-called skeleton construction supports rails and loop sections are connected with one another in turn construction takes place at up to 32 meters above the ground so assembling can be scarier than taking a ride on it the ride is 1.25 kilometers long up to five trains can race through simultaneously at up to 100 kilometers per hour the operator 21 year old michael bart he's been running his father's attraction for the past two years the effort to assemble it is especially great for the oktoberfest touching up the paint work on the main supports slows us down a lot so it takes longer to set up here in munich than usual and we have deadlines to meet like with the inspectors so we're under a lot of pressure the young operator controls the crane himself he and his 10-man crew have 15 days left until the start of the technical inspection despite the time pressure assembling the heavy steel elements requires the full concentration of all those involved at all times when we set the supports down they're not secured initially then you have 30 meters standing freely only secured with small bolts through the feet at this point everyone knows that we have to work quickly to secure the support so it doesn't fall over if there's a strong gust of wind especially precarious is the job of installing the connecting pieces at the height of up to 30 meters one of the steel track sections alone weighs three to four tons [Music] the workers are secured with climbing harnesses perfect coordinated teamwork between the workers and crane operator michael is crucial but extremely tricky at the same time the crane is 66 meters tall after all if i maneuver the track section up there too quickly i could end up knocking the guy off with it safety is naturally paramount and there has to be trust between the worker and crane operator in order for him to work effectively up there the most difficult task still lies ahead of them to install the up to 20 ton sections of the loops before the inspectors arrive to conduct the technical inspection from the day it opens 600 000 visitors will swarm the oktoberfest daily the greatest tourist magnet the huffboy tent the new team has eight days to complete construction of the exterior and there's still much to be done but at least the torn roof tarpaulin is now back repaired section for section the roof of the mega tent takes shape the team is currently one day behind schedule the workers will have to make up for lost time in order for the health play tent to open on time the next phase of construction the facade it is a replica of the original munich huff boy house its assembly turns out to be more difficult than expected for carpenter martin and his team i'm looking for the walls so although we have the numbering it's changed over the years the original plan shows normal doors but this photo here from last year shows arch doorways and now we have to find the right ones the search takes time time that the tent builders don't have construction begins without the missing facade elements until it becomes apparent that without the supporting effect of these parts it's difficult to continue construction [Music] we basically have all the sections just these narrow supports are still missing we'll have to improvise a bit and repurpose the forklift the structure is 13 meters tall piece by piece the carpenters fit together the facade like a puzzle but the missing elements still cannot be found they cannot stop the only solution is to make a copy of them later two days behind schedule the race to catch up begins for the hofboy team so that the tent can open on time [Music] things aren't just being built on the site but around it too extensive security measures for the over 6 million visitors the installation of barriers and concrete planters for directing traffic are part of the sophisticated anti-terrorism measures the entrances are protected by retractable steel bollards construction fencing surrounds the 34 hectare field innovative panty gates are installed that allow visitors to escape in an emergency 47 video cameras allow the police to monitor the festival grounds loudspeakers for making important announcements and emergency call boxes are installed event director andre listing is responsible for coordinating every installation at the oktoberfest both the planning and execution a mammoth task for him and his team visa is an open field where there's nothing no electrical junction box no water connection we make plans on the drawing board and they change all the time due to a junction box having to be moved or the clearance for a ride etc difficulties crop up now and again regarding placements [Music] like with the installation of the latest attraction at the oktoberfest the swing carousel admittedly we should have moved it forward a meter when positioning it this resulted in an impinging 30 centimeters on the neighboring ride with over 500 operators and finite space there's hardly any room on the grounds for alternative solutions so as not to block any escape routes during construction there was only one option the neighboring ride was turned and placed at an angle that's the difference to building skyscrapers you have a development plan and there's no scope for improvisation in our case unfortunately things are changing all the time unforeseen problems are one of the biggest risks to completing the oktoberfest arrangements on time and shouldn't be underestimated this applies to the large rides in particular if any of the machinery breaks down or workers can't complete their jobs time will be tight the roller coaster team still has to install the largest and heaviest components during the next 12 days most of the workers have been touring with the ride for many years a decisive factor for operator michael when the clock is ticking it's the largest mobile roller coaster in the world and made from thousands of parts the team we now have knows every nut and bolt if they were all rookies you'd have nothing but problems careful coordination and precision are essential when assembling the massive loops the individual sections can weigh up to 12 tons and are very difficult to maneuver the large sections like the loops are the trickiest we need big tools for that a large crane to lift everything into place we can't do the tension is palpable at a dizzying height far above ground the workers now connect the loops together [Music] but things are soon to get even bigger and more complicated once the multi-colored loops are in place the black 20-ton ring is up next the roller coaster builders still face their greatest challenge these rides were not even dreamt of back in 1820 at the first oktoberfest the more traditional ride of a horse race entertained the 40 000 onlookers the occasion the marriage of prince regent ludwig van bayer and princess teresa van zaksen hilpurgausen development of the oktoberfest into what it has become today began at the end of the 19th century when stalls carousels and the first brewery tents arrived on the festival grounds [Music] in the early 20th century the festival boasted germany's first roller coaster and since 1950 munich's mayor has the honor of tapping the first cake and ever since it is customary that only beer from munich breweries may be served on the oktoberfest their tents are recognizable by their respective brewery logos only when the massive crown has been placed on the roof of the hothroid tent is the exterior construction of the tent deemed complete weeks to go until up to 25 000 visitors daily will be partying here and drinking around 50 000 liters of beer each day [Applause] the interior of the tents comprises a myriad of small elements once the galleries have been installed the floors are covered with wooden planks with the exception of the kitchen and bars fresh concrete is laid here [Music] then the stage and backstage areas are built tons of decorations and table seating for ten thousand guests have to be in place on time too a tent contains a total of around 1.6 million individual items three days later than planned the exterior structure is finished so the time pressure to fit out the interior is accordingly high 42 days to go and a further 1.6 million individual items to install before opening day a unique feature of the interior design wood is not allowed in the kitchen and bar areas since the 1970s the health authorities have insisted on freshly poured concrete floors each year there is a slope from the front to here so that water always runs towards the drain for hygiene reasons so that bits of food and whatever falls on the floor can be washed away just using water 650 square meters of cement are laid in the tent this year however rain is hampering the tough job of the floors [Music] sure it's a bit of a pain but what can you do the concrete will still harden the holes will just have to be patched later with filler the job has to be finished the leaks in the roof an additional job for tent constructor eric fletcher and his crew to fit into their already tight schedule it's good that we can see now where rain is getting in by oktoberfest all the holes will have been repaired and the concrete floor will just have to be mended but the tasks are building up the new tent construction team is making slow progress compared to last year's construction company they're currently 10 days behind schedule there are problems with every aspect the main hall construction and fixtures are the least of our concerns but the smaller things get the more detail the more difficult it becomes you have to revisit things several times and this doesn't fit or that doesn't fit it's a sicipian task if things aren't written down it's not obvious to us how it should be assembled it wasn't a problem for our predecessor but we're all struggling here the delay puts completing the tent on time in severe jeopardy just 32 days left for the workers this means overtime from now on the organizers anticipate up to 600 000 visitors to the oktoberfest on opening day alone a crowd of unimaginable size meeting the construction deadline is absolutely essential for event director andrei listing when there are problems he relies first and foremost on the solidarity between the attraction operators if a ride doesn't get built on time because it's new the rivals actually help each other out nothing would be more embarrassing than something not being finished especially since the entire world has their eyes on the oktoberfest completing construction on schedule includes adhering to all the safety regulations too but it's easy to lose track of things on a pop-up building site with over 500 operators they have to be further over why escape route clearance how many meters do you need eight meters the post's here that has to be another 30 centimeters back and that up there even further right up to the fence i'll let them know yeah great things that's why checking things out personally is always better than the plan the container may only be half a meter on the escape route but it's still on the escape route i don't want that and neither does the fire department over 6 million visitors attend the oktoberfest none of the operators are prepared to take a risk when it comes to safety the same applies when it comes to the assembly of the rides a particularly spectacular example is the olympia looping their guests can race through the loops at 100 kilometers an hour the dimensions of the roller coaster are gigantic 86.5 meters long and 32.5 meters high this makes it even taller than the brandenburg gate in berlin and it has to be assembled in only a few days time the steel giant isn't ready for operation yet the biggest loop is still missing the roller coaster builders face their greatest challenge but first the workers diligently re-tighten every screw and bolt the 40-ton black loop consists of seven separate elements the highlight of the olympia roller coaster it's important that the sections are inspected for transport damage or defective lights before the giant structure is assembled two covers are missing and something's bent here we'll fit a couple of new covers it's obviously easier here than at 25 this saves work later on and valuable time for operator michael bart assembly of the giant loop begins installation of the 10-ton bottom section alone is a complex procedure for crane operator michael and his team something that would be impossible without everyone acting in concert michael up a bit on the fine gear good good johnny you pull a bit you have to pull a bit over there towards the red loop michael swing left a bit rob's off part one done the large semicircle that goes on top is even more complicated it's at the crane's limit and has to be exactly positioned via four points you have to pull with the chain tensioners and it's pretty high up for the workers which is not everyone's cup of tea but first the second base section of the black loop has to be fixed securely in place inside the roller coaster's frame [Music] a total of five massive steel tracks form the upper section of the loop it looks like a circle from the front the circle can't be flat though as the entrance and exit have to be slightly offset in the case of the large loop this amounts to 15 meters at the bottom the semicircle droops down slightly due to the chains we have to bend it a little so that it fits into the attachment points that are already up there it's pretty tricky sometimes it works first time round let's see here the 20-ton semi-circle is almost too heavy for the crane michael maneuvers the black steel monster extremely carefully toward the ride precise insertion an extreme challenge for the crane operator it's about 30 meters from the crane cab to the loop it's a pretty long way to judge things with the naked eye sometimes you lower the loop and think it's in the joints but it could be just resting on the edge and if you then lower it too quickly it can jump out again so we have to work with great sensitivity and make sure the loop slides home very slowly minute by minute the workers fight centimeter by centimeter with a virtually immovable semicircle 20 meters above the ground then after 20 minutes now we have to secure the loop the technical inspection is scheduled for next week we now have three or four days left just a few days to assemble the rest of the track install the trains and get the braking system working [Music] the roller coaster isn't the only thing starting to take shape the other ride operators are gradually getting their attractions set up too over 200 small stalls arrive at the festival site their plots are in the middle of the walkway or in front of the large rise sugar hearts cuddly toys and souvenirs the sellers hang up their wares the 34 hectare site is starting to resemble a small town but as this is a pop-up town there are isolated gaps between the businesses gaps that the experienced event director andre listing knows how to fill can we fit something in on the right-hand side yes but not much what's not much three meters 250 andre listing hopes to find a free space suitable for another stall one two three four four by two fifty we'll check the dimensions again on wednesday three would be better but we can get right up close here and then we could fit something small theoretically yes okay all the we have best lot of young stall owners who want to make their own way they usually have a four meter hit the target booth a small crepe stall or a sausage grill and are hoping to get one of these coveted last minute plots the oktoberfest keeps growing and growing just like the largest of all the tents the hoffboy tent just five days to go before the showstopper has to be ready for the opening tent manager ricky steinberg is now on site too he manages the tent during the oktoberfest but he's not satisfied with how the work is progressing i'm not entirely happy with the process this year there's still too many details that really worry me to be honest things aren't running smoothly have you seen the escape time there's a gap like this left when the doors are closed there's no way they'll allow that the fire department is due to perform the fire safety inspection in two days a prerequisite is that all fixtures and fittings have to be installed by then but the installation of the table seating for ten thousand guests is a day behind schedule as you can see we aren't as far along as i would have liked this is because the installation of the balustrades which happened this morning took longer than expected they lacked the experience of the predecessor who did it for 35 years which is why things aren't going quite as smoothly this year and the thing is although the tent builders have been working overtime for weeks in order to make up for the lost time the last week is always a little longer of course there are still a lot of small things that have to be done it all takes time but this is our first year next year we'll be smarter it's just really annoying when you have to redo so many jobs more than once there's now just one day left instead of two to arrange the table seating with centimeter precision [Music] and the next problem becomes apparent the following morning the toilet sign is hanging in the wrong place if it hangs there people might go out of this door here but the toilets are there we need to shift it over these are the little things we have to deal with and as tent manager ricky knows it's the little things that cause big delays especially complex correcting arranging the table seating for ten thousand guests within a short space of time strict observance of fire escape routes critical in an emergency the fire safety inspection is tomorrow manager ricky no longer lets the tent set up out of his sight for a moment [Music] i reckon there are only minor things left that could cause problems tomorrow from being two weeks behind schedule we've caught up pretty well now we're only about two days behind three very full working days left until opening the fire safety inspection a dress rehearsal for the tent the tent manager will only be able to complete preparations on time if there are no serious issues the final sprint for the ride operators the number one priority now the technical safety of the rides the olympia looping can only start operation once the inspection body gives the ride its final approval one of the inspectors is christian fargo from the trains to the rails every single component is subject to the painstaking checkup [Music] there are parts that wear on the trains too such as the wheels that have to be replaced this is all determined beforehand and discussed with the operator and the parts swapped out before the ride can go into operations [Music] the annual roller coaster check takes around five days should the structural mechanical or electrical engineers find any deficiencies it would significantly increase the time pressure operator michael is under just three days remain until the oktoberfest opens now we have to work on the brakes we discovered that the springs were broken we're replacing them right away time-wise we have the last of the test rides with the safety inspectors tomorrow morning so if we're not finished by six this evening we'll work through the night is this my company that's the life of a ride operator you have to be ready for the opening of the fun fact provided that every safety risk for the thousands of passengers is eliminated of course the same applies to all the other operators at the gigantic pop-up site final check for the tents the fire safety inspection by the fire department three days before the festival begins oliver fogel and christoph mutlitz check the fire safety of the hoffplay tent the focus is on the fire escape routes and emergency exits we're checking the functionality of the doors to make sure they open easily and open fully it sometimes happens that for example when the emergency exits are targe that that tar coat is too thick and the doors no longer open smoothly that's what we're checking here [Music] ten thousand guests at the same time it's not allowed for any table to be in the way or any gangway to be too narrow the safety of the visitors is paramount that needs to be cut back so that the emergency exit signs can be seen i'll make a note please make a note of that i'll send someone to take care of it this afternoon less than 70 hours until the traditional oktoberfest tapping by then all of the safety issues have to be rectified but the list of issues is growing worryingly longer we need a passage clearance of 80 centimeters for the escape route in the garden we have 80 centimeters in this area here but we have just 70 centimeters in this area here so the walls will need to be moved in order that the tables can be shifted and the necessary escape route clearance of 80 centimeters created the plan correct the current construction wrong so we just need to move it 10 centimeters then it'll work right we'll shift the two walls then it'll be correct yes the fire safety inspection takes around three hours three hours for a list of problems to grow the tent manager can only open if all the changes and adaptations have been made by the time the festival starts but confidence is still high i was really worried that it would end up being several pages but they've obviously pulled out all the stops over the past few days the things that still need to be done are minor matters however minor matters still take time and the dress rehearsal for the catering team in the tent is still pending [Music] everywhere on the grounds the pace becomes increasingly frenzy no one wants to be responsible for the largest festival in the world not opening on time the largest transportable roller coaster in the world under the microscope for the past five days now the final performance test is scheduled for today only if the trains successfully complete the test rides will the inspectors approve the ride for operation [Music] we've already completed the majority of the checks the operator is naturally the one who is first and foremost responsible and he naturally prepares for a technical inspection too especially in the case of such a large ride he doesn't want to be confronted with having to perform major modifications especially since there's little time left now until the oktoberfest green light for the test runs a particular focus is on the ride's new braking system the train races upside down through the loops at up to 100 kilometers an hour nothing is allowed to go wrong now after barely two and a half minutes the train arrives safely at its destination we've installed everything successfully the inspectors approved everything the motors are running and we've conducted the test runs i'm very relieved the roller coaster ready to welcome aboard its first thrill seekers quite the opposite at the mega beer tents preparations are still in full swing around seven and a half million liters of beer are drunk by the oktoberfest visitors in just 16 days roughly 800 000 liters are poured in the hawkway tent alone the supply enormous 7000 liter containers they constantly chill the beer to a temperature of one or two degrees celsius a distribution system pumps the beer as well as soft drinks to the bar areas mobile canteen kitchens provide the guests in the mega tents with a continuous supply of hearty food the hulkbroi tent can roast 838 chickens at the same time schnitzel haksa etc everything cooked freshly in the 170 square meter kitchen the logistics behind this keep it as simple as possible two enormous refrigeration containers are parked directly next to the kitchen this allows the staff to rapidly access the food the refrigerated storage is replenished overnight on a daily basis then the tanker with 24 000 liters of beer arrives as well it fills the containers in the five store rooms with two to three truckloads a tangle of pipe supplies the bar areas the distribution system prevents the unthinkable a dry bar so even if one bar experiences problems others step into cover just 48 hours left until opening then the beer must flow bar technicians clean and examine the lines in the tent [Music] we have just one line here and we have to fire the balls through and collect them on the other side by the container they look like this these are the big ones we shoot three through one after the other the balls shoot through the lines one after the other under pressure when the first one arrives at the other end it shows that nothing is twisted or blocked getting stuck would be a worst case scenario the water is getting through but there's no sign of the ball just yet there it is the ball has arrived the beer supply in the tent is assured dress rehearsal for the kitchen too and the dining guinea pigs are the 250 hoffway tent service staff the serving operation can only run smoothly if the kitchen is ready to cope with up to ten thousand tent visitors at the same time yeah yes everything's pretty good it all has to work on saturday there's no time to experiment everything has to work those are the first of the chickens for our colleagues the same as every year less than two days until opening the catering logistics is working but another problem has cropped up workers open up the floor of the tent again [Music] we have to distribute glass mugs from the storeroom to the bars during the oktoberfest too and obviously the supports under the floorboards are spaced a bit too far apart this means the floor keeps sagging and at some stage it could break these are just remedial jobs now the tent manager hopes that this is the last of them because there are only 40 hours left then the first 10 000 party-goers will stream in carpenter martin has worked on the construction of the hofbride tent since the beginning even though i've done it many times when you walk through the passageways and look around you can't help thinking wow it's really huge what we've built here five weeks ago there was nothing in here and it keeps growing more and more and in the end this is the result it's mind-blowing millions of construction elements are installed in this tent alone the whole festival a pop-up construction made from billions of individual parts [Music] opening day just six hours to go until the official kickoff the hoth white tent it certainly looks ready thousands of visitors have been lining up in front of the entrance since four in the morning they wait to be let in with the outside temperature hovering around 10 degrees celsius then at 9 o'clock the race for the sought after tent tables [Music] begins [Music] [Applause] the workers are still busy in the tent even now shortly before the first beers are served the last tripping hazard is eliminated they know if there's anything wrong we'll still take care of it and from 12 o'clock when the keg is tapped the machine will get up to speed and then the focus is no longer on us and we can take a step back and enjoy the whole thing the beer is tapped the oktoberfest opened on time i'm very satisfied we managed to get finished contrary to expectations no not contrary to expectations and now things are up and running i'm very happy 600 000 visitors on the first day alone the mega amusement park is finished and booming roller coaster operator michael bart is proud of the result too we didn't have any major problems and had good weather oktoberfest in munich is unique it really is something special oktoberfest a gigantic pop-up construction in just 10 weeks the biggest festival in the world is created here each year from scratch and under extreme time pressure

Channel: Free Documentary

Views: 100,747

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), engineering documentary, engineering, construction, construction documentary, giant constructions, pop up construction, 4k, 4k documentary, uhd documentary, 4k documentaries, Fair, fair construction, oktoberfest, oktoberfest construction, oktoberfest build, building the oktoberfest, oktoberfest tent, german construction

Id: 4uCaME4YvVM

Length: 48min 14sec (2894 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 29 2021

Reddit Comments

[u/LeastDescription4]

It's a good documentary, but some of the 3d render stuff span around way too much.