Tetrahedron in Bottrop

The stockpile Emscherblick, short tetrahedron, is a purpose-built in the form of a three -sided pyramid and free walk- lookout tower on the heap Beck in Bottrop - Batenbrock. The steel construction with a side length of 60 m is based on four 9 m high concrete piers and is located on the crest of about 120 m above sea level. high pile on the Beck Road. The stockpile has a prominence of about 90 meters to the ambient level. On a clear day you can see the landmark of the city of Bottrop from Essen central station.

Building

The tower was designed in collaboration with the structural engineer Klaus Bollinger ( Bollinger Grohmann, Frankfurt) and built by the Rueter GmbH, Dortmund Emscher Park IBA as a landmark by architect Wolfgang Christian from Darmstadt. The stockpile Emscherblick was opened on the day of German unity, 3rd October 1995.

The construction consists of 210 tons of steel pipes and a length of 1.5 km. The steel structure resting on four reinforced concrete columns, so that it is separated from the soil and especially at night when the lights tetrahedron, makes a floating impression. The Düsseldorf-based artist Jürgen LIT Fischer has designed the light sculpture ' fractal ' at the top of the tetrahedron. The tip of the heap was modeled after a design by Wolfgang Christ as lens- shaped depression. From the center of the lowered plateau from the industrial and urban landscape of the northern Ruhr area from the eyes disappears. One is with them, the artificial mountain rock from depth 1200 m and the sky above him alone. The black and z.T. sharp-edged stones to keep alive the memory of the heavy work in the mines.

In the main construction and stairs are suspended at different heights Observation Decks: The first platform in 18 m height is reached by a staircase built as a suspension bridge, up steep it comes to the second platform in 32 m height. The third platform 38 m consisting of a ring with a diameter of 8 m, which has an inclination of 8 °; they can be reached via a spiral staircase. The stairs and landings are suspended on steel cables movable in the design, thus it may be variations in stronger winds. The platforms and stairs are made of light grilles and perforated panels with open views down.

Stair climb

The platforms from below

Node

Skew the top platform

The night picture shows the light installation " fractal " at the tetrahedral

Stockpile and landmark

The heap itself is accessed by a dense network of paths and can be climbed in various slope angles. The direct route to the top is via a staircase with 387 steps. The mountain consists of waste rock, which can be perceived very nice on the unplanted summit area. Four panoramic panels describe details of the views of the Ruhr area. On the neighboring heap is another attraction as the Alpin Center Bottrop.

The tetrahedron is an important landmark of the region due to the exposed position and height. From the top you have a panoramic view over the industrial area of ​​the Ruhr. With a good view of about 40 km from the Rhine Tower can be seen in Dusseldorf. Like other Ruhr heaps of tetrahedron is part of the Route of Industrial Heritage.

Ruhr - romance on the heap Prosper on tetrahedron

Panorama table at the edge of the heap

Seen tetrahedron from the Gasometer Oberhausen

View from the Schurenbachhalde about Prosper -Haniel to the tetrahedron

Mathematical Structure

The object resembles a Sierpinski pyramid - also called Sierpinski sponge, so the three-dimensional analogue of the Sierpinski triangle. In the first step, the tetrahedron is divided into four smaller tetrahedra between which is formed in the middle of an octahedron. In the second step, these four tetrahedra would be divided in the same way - in the sculpture, however, one of the three lower tetrahedron is the first step are.

Step 1

Step 2

Stone arrangements " Aliens"

By rearranging different colored gravel stones laid Bottroper Fred Fischer from 2004 to early 2009, below the tetrahedron several large stereotypical representations of " aliens ". After other landmarks from the time of the IBA Emscher Park, for example, the heap Brockenscheidt Zeche Waltrop with the track frame tower of the artist Jan Bormann, were transformed from citizens, the Ruhr Regional Association demanded in 2008 a report on, according to his testimony this is not legally was allowed. After a in the public media passionate debate about the pros and cons of the unauthorized actions of individual citizens, let the Ruhr Regional Association under dredge the ' figures ' on 18 February 2009.

In August 2011, Fred Fischer the aliens revived again, with the approval of the Regional Association Ruhr. The action stems from an agreement between the artist and the RVR. The RVR had promised to find another place for the art installation after it had failed they agreed on a temporary action with fabric panels in its original place.

Alien stone figures in February 2009

Alien head seen from the ground, February 2009

Gravel surface after the fall excavators, June 2009

The tetrahedron in the film

The Bottroper tetrahedron is the site of some scenes in Dietrich Brüggemann's film Run if you can.