Günther Ludwig Eckert studied architecture in Munich from 1947 to 1951. Over the next three decades, this pioneering architect designed countless single-family homes, residential and office complexes, and churches. He gained international recognition for his residential tower and the Olympic Village cafeteria in Munich (1967–1972), now a protected landmark. The tower marked the inaugural use of Eckert's "modular construction system"—an innovation that combined industrial prefabrication with the freedom for individual interior customization. In 1967, he also invented an integrated plastic wet room, consolidating all bathroom functions into a single unit. Beyond his architectural practice, Eckert was an accomplished draftsman and painter who collaborated with filmmaker and author Werner Prym. Beginning in 1978, he devoted himself to developing the concept of a global continuum. Günther L. Eckert died in Munich in 2001.

"Nearly fifty years have passed since Günther L. Eckert conceived his vision of a global continuum—the Tube. Through this meticulously detailed architectural design, Eckert sought to demonstrate that humanity could thrive on Earth in prosperity without destroying it further. Unlike utopian concepts, past and present, Eckert refused to place his vision in an imaginary elsewhere or elsewhen. Instead, he distilled the inherent logic of modern technology into a radical proposal: a closed-loop system encircling the entire planet. Crucially, he showed that this spaceship-like structure—the Tube—could be built today, using technologies and resources already at our disposal.

Yet at the heart of Eckert's utopian vision lay not technology, but transformation of the human spirit. He envisioned a future where people transcended the biologically determined ego and embraced a collective consciousness—a shared "we" united around a common project, living in genuine peace. The Tube was to be the physical envelope for this reimagined humanity. Today, as environmental destruction accelerates, the continuum reads as something else: a kind of life-support architecture—a refuge we may need to inhabit if we fail to fundamentally reshape our relationship with nature. Regardless of interpretation, Eckert's concept remains invaluable as both a vivid illustration and a rigorous framework for grappling with the monumental challenges we face in preserving Earth and securing our future." Michael Fehr