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Zeitpyramide

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zeitpyramide
Four concrete blocks stand on a concrete pad, surrounded by undulating grassy land
and cornfields.
Pyramid after the 4th block was laid in 2023
Coordinates 48°53′03″N 10°43′17″E
Architect Manfred Laber (1932–2018)
Constructed Began 23 October 1993; 30 years ago
Type Step pyramid
Material Concrete
Height 9.2 metres (30 ft) (when done)
Base 15 metres (49 ft) (concrete pad)
Volume 311 cubic metres (407 cu yd; 10,983 cu ft) (when done)
Slope 43°
The Zeitpyramide (lit. 'time pyramid') is a work of public art by Manfred Laber
(1932–2018) under construction in Wemding, Germany. The pyramid began in 1993, the
year of the town's 1,200th anniversary. With a new block added every ten years, the
structure should consist of 120 blocks when complete after 1,190 years, in the year
3183.[1]

Concept
The town of Wemding dates back to the year 793 and celebrated its 1,200-year
anniversary in 1993. The Zeitpyramide was conceived by Manfred Laber (a local
artist) in June 1993 to mark this 1,200-year period and to give people a sense of
what the span of 1,200 years really means.[1]

One block is scheduled to be placed every ten years, taking 1,190 years. This time
includes the initial block placed at the beginning of the project, which explains
the apparent off-by-one error of ten years.[2] So far, the blocks have all been
concrete, but the material of future blocks may be altered in future generations
depending on availability of materials.[3]

Artist
Manfred Laber was born in Wemding on 5 May 1932 and studied painting at the
Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Berlin in the 1950s. He has other artwork on
permanent display on the Isla San Antonio; in Alcanar, Spain; and Mormoiron,
France. Alcanar was also his part-time place of residence.[4] Laber died in Wemding
on 17 August 2018, aged 86.

Construction

Trimetric projection of the design

The time pyramid is located on a concrete pad on a rounded hilltop, the
Robertshöhe, on the northern edge of Wemding.[5] The first block was placed in
October 1993.[1] The 6.5-tonne (6.4-long-ton; 7.2-short-ton) fourth and most recent
block was placed at 15:06 on 9 September 2023.[6] Following the construction
schedule, the fifth block will be placed in 2033.[7][8]

The project's initial financing was mostly achieved through donations by local
companies, which, for example, supplied the materials for the concrete slab for
free. The project is administered by a foundation based in Wemding.[9]

Profile (side view) of the completed design

A model of the final artwork is exhibited at Wemding, at the Haus des Gastes.[1] If
the time pyramid project proceeds according to plan, it will fall into four stages
based on tier layer:

The base layer, measuring 13.8 by 13.8 m (45 by 45 ft), will consist of 64 blocks
arranged in 8 rows and 8 columns and has a stage completion date of 2623.
The second layer will consist of 36 blocks, in a 6-by-6 format with a stage
completion date of 2983. This is the first layer that requires a block to be placed
atop another block, which would require a crane or some form of scaffolding such as
an earthen ramp used as an incline, although, by at least 2023, placement was
already using a crane.[2]
The third layer will consist of 16 blocks arranged in a 4-by-4 format with a stage
completion date of 3143.
The final, fourth layer will consist of 4 blocks, arranged in a 2-by-2 format,
which upon completion will complete the structure. The completed pyramid will have
taken just shy of a decade less to build than Wemding's age at the time that the
first block was laid.
The pyramid, when completed in the year 3183, is scheduled to consist of 120 stone
or concrete blocks, each measuring 1.2 m (3.9 ft) long, 1.2 m (3.9 ft) wide and 1.8
m (5.9 ft) tall. Adjacent blocks are separated by gaps of half a block or 0.6 m
(2.0 ft).

Longevity of concrete
Unlike ancient human structures such as the Great Pyramid of Giza—which is made
from limestone, mortar, and granite, and which has lasted more than 4500 years—the
lifespan of reinforced concrete and regular blocks of concrete is typically only
50–100 years.[10][11][12] However, concrete blocks can last indefinitely when
properly maintained or weatherproofed.[13]

Construction schedule
Block number Date placed Tier Notes Image
– between July 1993 and 23 October 1993 N/A This is the concrete pad of
the Zeitpyramide. Local donations supplied the materials for the concrete slab for
free in early 1993.
1 23 October 1993 First tier The first block placed, and the only block to
be placed during the 20th century.
2 15:58, 6 September 2003 First tier The first block to be placed during the
21st century.
3 16:14, 29 June 2013 First tier The last block to be placed before the
death of Manfred Laber.
4 15:06, 9 September 2023 First tier The latest block to have been placed, and
also the first block where its placement was live-streamed. Also the first block
placed after the death of Manfred Laber in 2018.
5 2033 First tier The next block scheduled to be placed.
6 2043 First tier
7 2053 First tier
8 2063 First tier The last block to be placed on the first row.
9 2073 First tier
10 2083 First tier
11 2093 First tier The last block scheduled to be placed during the 21st
century. Block 11 also marks 100 years since Block 1 was placed.
⋮
64 2623 First tier The last block scheduled to be placed within the first
tier.
65 2633 Second tier The first block scheduled to be placed within the second
tier, and the first block which is assumed to require scaffolding.
⋮
100 2983 Second tier The last block scheduled to be placed within the second
tier.
⋮
116 3143 Third tier The last block scheduled to be placed within the third
tier.
⋮
119 3173 Fourth tier The penultimate block scheduled to be placed.
120 3183 Fourth tier The last block scheduled to be placed during the 32nd
century, the last block to be placed within the fourth tier, and also the last
block overall scheduled to be placed. Block 120 also marks 1,190 years since Block
1 was placed.
References
Conception Official Zeitpyramide website, accessed: 14 December 2010
The 1,200 Year Maths Mistake, retrieved 2024-03-06
Zeitpyramide (in German) Official Zeitpyramide website, accessed: 14 December 2010
Biographie Manfred Laber (in German) Official Zeitpyramide website, accessed: 14
December 2010
Ein Wolf an der Wiege und ein Gebäude mit 1200 Jahren Bauzeit (in German)
Augsburger Allgemeine, published: 4 September 2010, accessed: 14 December 2010
Denkmal oder Utopie? Der dritte Dekadenstein auf der Wemdinger Robertshöhe ist
gesetzt, Helmut Bissinger
"Zeitpyramide". Stadt Wemding (in German). Retrieved 2023-05-05.
Delbert, Caroline (2020-05-29). "Germans Are Building a Time Pyramid Over the Next
1,000 Years". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
Stiftung Wemdinger Zeitpyramide (in German) Official Zeitpyramide website,
accessed: 14 December
"The problem with reinforced concrete". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
Arkin, Daniel (2022-11-23). "How Long Does Concrete Last? The Truth About Precast
Concrete". Premier Precast. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
webdev (2019-09-01). "Extend concrete life with weatherproofing solutions".
Canadian Concrete Expo. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
Van, Matt (September 3, 2013). "REPAIRING CONCRETE STRUCTURES".
External links
Official Zeitpyramide website
Categories: 32nd centuryBrutalist architecture in GermanyBuildings and structures
in Donau-RiesBuildings and structures under construction in GermanyGerman
artOutdoor sculptures in GermanyPublic art in GermanyPyramids in GermanyUnfinished
sculptures
This page was last edited on 23 March 2024, at 03:01 (UTC).
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