The project was commissioned by investors, Bechtle AG and KACO new energy, who wanted to transform the industrial area in the city center into an extension of the nearby Heilbronn University campus (HHN - Hochschule Heilbronn).
The reconstructed gas tank ball was intended to become the main attraction of the university campus. On a total area of 9,000 m2, an innovation center, a student canteen, cafes and restaurants, a library, classrooms and research laboratories were planned. The combination of so many functions in the new building was due not only to the lack of space for leisure for students, but also to the lack of classrooms, laboratories, canteens and cafes at HHN.
Directly in the sphere itself, the halls of the technology museum, auditoriums, and a 3D cinema were located. A green stepped roof curved around a ball, forming a giant amphitheater, and a video was supposed to be projected onto the surface of the gas tank: as a result, the roof of the building was supposed to become an open-air media center, not only for students, but for all Heilbronn residents. The roof and the area between the gas tank and the university could be used for large city public events. A high-quality green area with ponds and fountains, flower beds and trees on the square was supposed to become a "visiting card" of the actively developing educational "segment" of the city, attracting investments.
It was planned to install solar collectors on the outer shell of the ball, to use the latest technologies in the project from one of the investors - the leader in innovations in the field of renewable energy.
This project by Dmitry Boykov, a Russian architect working in Germany, created with the participation of German engineer Boris Peter (Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering bureau), received several domestic awards, in particular, the Silver Diploma of the National Rating "Golden Capital 2014", the "Silver Sign" award and CAP diploma "For the development of ideas of eco-sustainable architecture" of the International Festival "Architecture 2013", Silver diploma "Eurasian Prize 2012".
The project was not implemented: the customers failed to attract the additional investments necessary for its implementation, and the site, together with the gas holder, was sold to the Dieter Schwarz Stiftung fund, which supplemented it with a neighboring piece of land. As a result, the ball-gas holder, an interesting monument of industrial architecture (built in 1964) was demolished, and in its place appeared
a large complex of laboratories and offices designed by Auer Weber.
