The paper presents the methodology to determine changes in the geometric structure containing the conducted measurements and feasible variants of calculations. The object of detailed studies, whose results are presented in this work, is the suspended roof of the open-air theatre in Koszalin. In the research conducted since 2006, a database that contains the results of more than 40 periodic measurements of the structure carried out in different (registered during measurements) external conditions (including different temperature, snow and ice load) was used. The previous research conducted at this facility, among others, (Deska 2013, Kaczmarek and Ĺšpiewak 2014b), as well as for other structures (Odziemczyk 2014) draws attention to the important influence of the temperature load of steel structures and hence the need for its consideration when assessing the geometric state. Electronic total station and the polar method with freestationing were used in periodic measurements. The calculations used a comparative method (differences of coordinates) and tools of a statistical analysis as well as developed calculation models based on them. The results obtained using both approaches were compared and assessed by indicating both their possibilities and significant limitations. The application of the suggested methodology provides the correct determination of changes in the ...