Press Room

The research team “Architectonic Bronze” of the University of Almeria presents an innovative initiative that combines engineering and artistic creation: the project of a mega football ball made of architectonic bronze that could become a reference icon in the world of football. In collaboration with the architectonic and engineering consultants ECOTECNO, ‘Architectonic Bronze’  has designed a giant bronze sculpture in the shape of a football ball with  200,000 kilos of estimated  weight and a diameter of 30 meters, equivalent to a ten-story building.

The mega golden ball would have an outer coating consisting of twenty hexagonal faces and 12 pentagonal built with approximately 80,000 kilos of architectonic bronze, a material created at the University of Almeria as a result of the research carried out by this group. This material would provide the sculpture with a spectacular brightness. This giant bronze football ball could be part of the set of infrastructures to be implemented in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup in 2020. Its construction, as noted by the coordinators of the research group, José Antonio López and Pablo Mellado, would entail direct job creation and would create an area of ​​economic, tourist and commercial development. If built, the bronze mega football ball is the biggest in the world with the possibility of being used as a museum, exhibition hall, shopping centre, etc… Among other singularities of this project, it is remarkable its commitment to the environment since the mega sculpture is made of recycled bronze obtained from ship propellers. The presentation was chaired by the rector of the University of Almeria and the territorial delegate of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment.

Source: UAL