Leipzig’s 21st-Century Landmarks - Leipzig’s 21st-Century Landmarks

Leipzig’s 21st-Century Landmarks

April 20, 2016

CEMEX supplied 8 specialty concretes for the Leipzig City Tunnel. (Photo: Frank Eritt)

Leipzig, Germany is home to nearly 550,000 inhabitants, a popular destination for tourists and an attractive location for businesses. This is illustrated by three buildings with widely different functions, all of which characterize the city in their unique way.

Connecting people
The Leipzig City Tunnel, a centerpiece of the Central German S-Bahn, is a key element of the reorganization of the railway system in the region. It follows the standard set by other German cities like Munich, by improving connections and providing a direct railway link between the area south of the city and the Leipzig Central Station, which existed since before the division of East and West Germany. On some routes, the new underground rail link reduces the total travel time by up to 40 minutes.

Between 8 to 16 meters (approximately 26 to 52.5 feet) below ground, the new train tracks run along two single-track tunnels each 1,438 meters (4,700 feet) long, with a 7.9-meter (26-foot) internal diameter. CEMEX was able to provide the high level of technical and logistical expertise required by an engineering project of this scale. Our team in Germany supplied more than 350,000 cubic meters (approximately 458,000 cubic yards) of concrete over five years for the project—from underwater concrete for the tunnel floors to self-compacting architectural concrete for the four underground stations.

CEMEX supplied 8 specialty concretes for the Leipzig City Tunnel (Photo: Frank Eritt)

Urban development in the city center
Höfe am Brühl is a shopping center in the heart of Leipzig that boasts 130 shops on three levels, a wide variety of eateries and 820 parking spaces. The Höfe, or “courtyard,” was built on historic Brühl Street, where the famous composer, W. Richard Wagner, was born.

Located in a busy commercial zone with narrow streets, this project required demanding logistics. Our team in Germany supplied the large-scale project with 85,000 cubic meters (approximately 111,000 cubic yards) of ready-mix concrete, including standard construction concrete for the floor slab and the ceiling as well as high-strength concretes for the supports.

The 3-story Höfe am Brühl can accommodate around 130 retailers. (Photo: CEMEX Deutschland AG / Martin Jehnichen / vor-ort-foto.de)

A flagship of exposed concrete
BMW™ is synonymous with elegance, class and superior engineering. The Central Building of its automobile plant in Leipzig reflects those attributes, receiving numerous architectural awards including first place in the Industrial Construction category at the CEMEX Building Award 2006. The bold design by Zaha Hadid Architects, London, demonstrates how exposed concrete can offer a beautiful stylistic element in contemporary architecture.

The striking nerve center of the plant is nestled between three huge production halls, linking the different production areas of the star-shaped, 26,000 square-meter (approximately 280,000 square-foot) overall complex. With its specific technical requirements, the design could only be realized with self-compacting concrete of the highest quality. The interior is characterized by complex geometric shapes created with 5,000 cubic meters (approximately 6,540 cubic yards) of exposed architectural concrete that CEMEX supplied. Moreover, our Admixtures Group tailored special additives for this project.

Wall sections 27.9 feet high, 98.4 feet long, and 0.8-3.3 feet thick, had to be cast in one solid piece. (Photo: BMW AG / photographer: Martin Klindtworth)

Building a better future
CEMEX works closely with many contractors involved in building today’s landmarks in Leipzig and throughout Germany. Our operations in Germany continue to make a significant contribution to the development of Saxony's urban landscape.

CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries. CEMEX has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves through innovative building solutions, efficiency advancements, and efforts to promote a sustainable future.