Hundertwasser Tower in Kuchlbauer's World of Beer in Abensberg, Germany

The following information refers to the calculated structure of the roof ball in RSTAB.

Approx. Length: 32.8 ft | Width: 32.8 ft | Height: 18 ft | Weight: 4.6 t
Nonlinear Effects: tension members
Number of Nodes: 348 | Members: 508 | Materials: 1 | Cross-Sections: 6

The tower was designed by F. Hundertwasser, who died in 2000 when the project was still in its planning stages. The exhibition inside the tower shows the brewing procedure and provides information about the German purity law. In addition, visitors can see a collection of more than 4,000 wheat beer glasses.

The platform offers a splendid view of Abensberg and the Hallertau region in Germany, which is the largest hop-growing area in the world.

Construction Completed After Death of Hundertwasser

The tower was built after Hundertwasser died. It was erected under the direction of architect Peter Pelikan and building owner Leonard Sallek, who is also the owner of the brewery. Discussions concerning monument protection were carried out on the part of the town of Abensberg. Finally, the first foundation stone was laid in April 2007 and the golden roof ball was put on the tower top in August 2008. In January 2010, the tower opened its doors for the first time.

Roof Ball Structure Designed with RSTAB

The German engineering office of Uhrmacher, operator of the Internet planning portal www.diestatiker.de, was responsible for the tower's structural analysis. It used Dlubal's structural analysis and design software.

The supporting structure of the roof ball, consisting of 508 steel members, was calculated with RSTAB. It has a diameter of 32.8 ft. The total weight of the ball, including coating, is 13.2 tons. The construction of the tower required approximately 154 t of reinforcing steel and 16.5 t of I‑beams.