Niemeyer Sphere: Visionary architecture made of concrete

Figure: Schwebewerk Berlin

The Niemeyer Sphere measures 12 m in diameter and has three floors

Figure: Schwebewerk Berlin

The Niemeyer Sphere was to be as smooth and as white as possible – this was successfully realized using the Dyckerhoff Weiss binder

Figure: Schwebewerk Berlin

Figure: Informationszentrum Beton

A futuristic view – triangular liquid crystal windows were installed to control temperature and solar glare

Figure: Informationszentrum Beton

Figure: Schwebewerk Berlin

Perfect contrast – white Portland cement meets listed brick building complex

Figure: Schwebewerk Berlin

The Niemeyer Sphere is located in Leipzig’s Plagwitz district; it will be open to the public and can be used as an event location

Figure: Schwebewerk Berlin

Shortly before his death, Oscar Niemeyer left an architectural legacy in Leipzig with the Niemeyer Sphere. The futuristic concrete sphere was built by Dechant Hoch- und Ingenieurbau GmbH based in Upper Franconia. The full article is included in the 2021 BetonBauteile yearbook, which is available at the Bauverlag Profil bookstore.

It all began with a letter that Ludwig Koehne, the founder and owner of Techne Sphere Leipzig, wrote to iconic Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in 2011. In it, art lover Koehne not only described the construction task – to build a dining and dance hall on the roof of the canteen building – but at the same time confessed to being an admirer of Niemeyer’s work and requested a “curved building form”.

His request was heard by the master in Brazil; it was soon followed by a visit to Rio de Janeiro and, finally, a design created by the world-renowned architect – albeit initially only in the form...