oscar niemeyer’s vision for a concrete and glass sphere is realized in leipzig, germany

one of oscar niemeyer’s final projects – the ‘niemeyer sphere’ – has been realized posthumously in leipzig, germany. located at the techne sphere industrial complex in the district of plagwitz, the brazilian architect’s vision now inhabits the corner of a 19th century factory used by kirow, a tram company and crane manufacturer, with views overlooking the city.

images courtesy of eyrise

in 2011, the renowned brazilian architect was approached by ludwig koehne, owner of the kirow plant in leipzig, to build an extension of a factory canteen. following niemeyer’s death in 2012, his sketches were further developed by assistant jair valera. the project was then executed by harald kern architects, with dynamic window technology from eyrise offering sun protection while respecting the purity of niemeyer’s design.

niemeyer sphere is one of the last projects designed by oscar niemeyer

the white concrete and glass sphere measures 12 meters in diameter. it contains an upper and lower hemisphere that houses a restaurant and bar. 50 wooden molds were handcrafted to construct the framework for the two concrete shells. the lattice pattern glass façade is composed of 144 individually manufactured triangular glass modules of various sizes that darken and lighten instantaneously, thanks to eyerise’s advanced liquid crystal glass technology controlled by a bespoke app.

the glass façade is composed of 144 individually manufactured triangular glass modules of various sizes

‘niemeyer liked the idea of creating a building that would benefit working people and the element of surprise that comes with seeing such a futuristic structure in the heart of an industrial space,’ says plant owner ludwig koehne. ‘he was always open to new developments and would have approved of the use of innovative technology to realize his vision.’

video courtesy of eyrise

‘a fusion of art with technology, the sphere sets new standards in architecture for our increasingly digital world,’ says kai beckmann, member of the board at merck and CEO of merck performance materials. ‘this space is all about wellbeing, sustainability and controlling the building’s energy footprint. our eyrise liquid crystal glass technology makes this possible by providing invisible shading and preventing over-heating while remaining true to niemeyer’s spirit.’

niemeyer sphere uses eyrise glass to provide solar shading and prevent overheating

project info:

name: niemeyer sphere 

location: techne sphere leipzig, leipzig, germany

design: oscar niemeyer

executed by: harald kern architects

window technology: eyrise

status: completed

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.