Ephemeral structure is characterized as the one designed to oblige a significant purpose placed at a significant space for a time lag that has the duration of its purpose and afterwards to be transferred at another place where needed.

The presence of ephemeral structures seems to be constant in time. The first lodgments that man used in prehistory belong to this category. Parts of many nations tradition’s, mostly nomadic, was to built hovels, such as theSaracachans’s hut, the Indian tipi and the Bedouin’s tents. At times of the two world wars new necessities were emerged. Military architecture manufactured ephemeral aircrafts’ coverts as also bridges and several buildings. Today ephemeral structures are part of prosaism. They are being used as quick and easy solutions to specific structural problems such as scaffolds and containers, which are used for building constructions, or as replacements for building’s requirements, such as exhibition’s booths, concert stages, habitats, etc.

Ephemeral structures can be categorized by the way of their construction in four ways: modules, tensioned, inflated and sectionals. Modules are plants that can be transferred entire, tensioned use the technique of tensed membrane, while the inflated ones use the same technique under air pressure. Sectionals are the ones that are consisted of many parts able to be packed in small packages (flat-packs).

The international contest in virtue of 2004 Olympiad which subject was “ephemeral structures in the city of Athens”, testifies the ephemeral’s structures daily service nowadays.

Usually these structures are not designed for a specific place, so they often take shapes and figures that develop rupture in the built environment’s continuum and work as destabilization mechanisms. They are frequently compared to parasites due to their contact with the permanent environment where they often use its supplies. The materials that these structures use nowadays depend on the latest technology which allows them to take special shapes.

Conclusively ephemeral structures are flexible, adaptable, locomotive, and recyclable. They can hurdle problems due to lack of land and eventually can renovate the permanent and static urban landscape.α