Dome

Large water fountain with water jets at base of pavilion in park; The original design of the slender, upward-thrusting tower stem was created by the GDR architect Hermann Henselmann. The sphere of the TV tower was meant to remind us of the Soviet Sputnik satellite and to gleam in red, the color of socialism (it is now clad in textured stainless steel). The planning department of ‘VEB Industrieprojektierung’ Fritz Dieter and Günter Franke revised the design, not least to facilitate the construction of the tower. The tower shaft tapers from 16 meters in diameter, to 9 meters and is divided into five stages by mezzanine floors. An outer concrete shaft was erected around steel framework. It is a popular tourist destination with viewing platforms and a revolving restaurant in the center of the sphere; it was renovated in the late 1990's. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 4/26/2013)