De Boer was tasked with providing the structure for the main floral marquee, the Great Pavilion, and the RHS President’s conference suite for this year's show. The show had a commemorative focus to mark the centenary year of World War One, which was presented through themed floral exhibits and recreations of wartime garden displays.
De Boer’s Delta structure, spanning more than three acres of the Royal Hospital Chelsea grounds, housed the displays in the Great Pavilion. More than 3,400 man hours were put in by the De Boer team to complete the construction of the Great Pavilion, and 163,700 nuts and bolts were used in the structure. More than 165,000 people were expected to visit the Great Pavilion over the course of the show.
What has been the biggest challenge in setting up this year's Great Pavilion? 
One of the biggest challenges arrives before we even set foot on site. The planning of transport, labour crew, specialist machinery and a myriad of other factors has to be done in meticulous detail and then checked by our experienced staff. Once this is done it is checked all over again. The period between the site being available and the first garden contractors arriving is very limited, so we have to work at maximum efficiency and hope the weather smiles on us. Fortunately this year, we were helped by perfect building conditions.
What are the logistics behind setting up and taking down the structures?
We start the build of the Great Pavilion as soon as the RHS begins to prepare the site and we have a total of 12 days to erect the structure before handover, ready for exhibitors. The vehicles transporting the materials to site have to be carefully scheduled because there is simply not enough room on-site to accommodate all of the trucks arriving at once and I doubt commuters and police would look kindly on us blocking the Embankment with parked lorries.
De Boer is very conscious that the Royal Hospital Chelsea site is precious on a number of levels, so we take great care to minimise disruption to the grounds and to the residents of the hospital. As part of this effort, rather than lifting the roof in the usual way with cranes, we deploy an electro-hydraulic lifting system which is much quieter and has less detrimental impact on the site.
Another key element of success is having a strong and productive relationship with the RHS team. Creating and implementing an effective logistics operation, would be impossible without the critical blend of skills provided by the RHS and De Boer staff working in a seamless fashion.
How has De Boer’s structure been modified for RHS Chelsea Flower Show?
Working with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the Delta structure has been designed with a range of unique modifications including a ventilation system with 205 partial mesh-style panels, allowing air to circulate around the 75,000 blooms housed in the Great Pavilion. We also use a bespoke atrium structure to clear the Memorial Obelisk and span the two main Delta halls, creating a single exhibition space.
Of course, with the Great Pavilion roof covering more than 10,000 square metres we have to manage a huge amount of water when it rains. To do this we have created a special gutter and drainage system, which is unique to the project.
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