Each goal celebrated at the pub, passionate discussions on the referee’s decisions and wild celebrations for one’s own team – there is hardly a sporting event that interests such a wide range of people and causes such strong emotions as a football world cup. Reason enough for De Boer to present the audience with a tent that was especially designed for the 2006 fifa World cup finals, setting new standards in the field of vip tent structures. 

In Alkmaar, virtually on de Boer’s doorstep, the first plans for the new super tent were made in 2005. many ideas were shared and numerous drawings were made by de Boer’s design engineer Daniel Quost and presented around the round table. then, late one evening, in the midst of the drawings, the emperor saw the light of day. But that was only just the beginning: civil constructor Ivo Bakker made a sample tent based on the drawings and calculations at hand and the complete statistics were calculated by the delft university of technology. 

Only three months after the brainstorming meeting in Alkmaar, a first prototype was available – a unique and sensational achievement in such a short time. Never before had a new product line been designed and implemented so quickly. this was something worth celebrating together with the suppliers from the Netherlands, France and Belgium. 

The two supporting elements made of aluminum can be considered a milestone for structures of this kind. their surface is manufactured in such a refined way that they can be erected at any place inside the tent, and still be capable of easily supporting the weight of the roof, balcony and A true vip tent structure is created inside walls. their design was an entirely new challenge; even the production of the pillars was an exciting moment. the combination of aluminum and wood was a whole new concept which celebrated its debut in the emperor. when working with two materials that differ so widely from one another there are many things to take into account besides the aesthetic aspects. wood and steel components must be connected with one another immediately after processing. otherwise, fresh wood can bend itself in such a way that the absolute fitting accuracy – so vital in modular systems – would no longer be guaranteed. 

For this reason, the logistics caused by this mix of material was a challenge on its own. And of course – when put to use – the structure needs to be assembled and dismantled in the shortest amount of time possible and the modules have to connect securely. time is money, so every hour less that is needed to erect and dismantle the structure also means huge savings for the customer: reduced costs for the location and less working time to pay. one-and-a-half years later, after an equally long planning and design phase and another prototype, the emperor celebrated its glamorous world debut right on time for the beginning of the 2006 FiFA world Cup Finals in front of the stadiums in Munich and Berlin. 

Being a unique innovation and out-shining all other tents, it can be considered one of a kind. the combination of aluminum and glass creates a contemporary, clear and top class appearance, whereas the use of wood in its structural elements lends warm and subtle highlights to the curved roof, balconies and awnings. the top level is variable on both the inside and outside: the facades may be fitted with glass elements, and the floor around the wooden terrace can be extended in changing depth. the interior can become an atrium instead of two complete floors. the top level then consists of a gallery. Using a transparent roof here creates a particularly sensational effect. only a few weeks after the premiere, the emperor notched up its second success at the KLM dutch open in zandvoort.