Sculpture Hall Thomas Schütte

The new sculpture hall by artist Thomas Schütte at the former Hombroich rocket station is also a "sculpture" in its own right as a building. The roof shape, which protrudes far beyond the elliptical ground plan, follows the intersection of a sphere with an elliptical cylinder. The roof's static function is based on the modified principle of a spoked wheel. The rim is represented by a hollow steel box girder as a compression ring, while the wooden suspension beams represent the spokes. A steel tension ring forms the hub in the center.

This design principle means that the cross-sections are largely subjected to normal force, which represents a very efficient load-bearing structure. The rim, the steel pressure ring, is supported by 16 supports. The steel supports made of round tubes d = 139.7 mm x 20 mm are extremely slender with a support height of up to 3 m and lend the roof its lightness. At the same time, the supports together with the steel girder of the compression ring form a moment-bearing frame that rests on the upper edge of the elliptical reinforced concrete wall.