“La Boule d’or centenaire” by Dieter Meier

The gold-plated century ball by Dieter Meier, frontman of the Swiss pop band, Yello, is deposited in the ground at Zurich Main Station.

The Work

“La Boule d’or centenaire” by Dieter Meier, concept artist and frontman of the electropop duo, Yello, is deposited in the ground of the main concourse of Zurich Main Station and protected with reinforced glass so that passers-by can view it from above. The ball – which was installed in 2008 – will stay there for 100 years and aims to draw attention to nothingness and insignificance.

Special Remarks

During that time, the ball will be taken out of its glass case on only a handful of occasions and rolled 12 meters (39ft) along a wooden runway known as the “Bois du voyage d’or”. The dates are as follows:

9 May 2008 (already happened)
24 June 2008 (already happened)
18 September 2016 (already happened)
28 August 2033
12 June 2064
21 July 2082
18 January 2097
9 May 2108

Location

Deposited in the ground in the middle of the main concourse on the ground floor of Zurich Main Station

The Creator

Dieter Meier became famous with his band, Yello. Together with Boris Blank, he was a pioneer of electronic pop music. What many people do not know is that Meier actually started his career as a performance artist. Nowadays he is renowned and successful as a gastronome, cattle breeder, and vintner.

Opening Hours

Open on These Days

  • Mo
  • Tu
  • We
  • Th
  • Fr
  • Sa
  • Su

Open to the public

Address

Distance Travel time
Zürich Main Station 25 m
Zürich Airport 8.4 km 9 min
Hauptbahnhof Zürich
8001  Zürich