An apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object (3) by applying and solidifying a powdery constituent material (3a) layer by layer at positions corresponding to the respective cross sectional area of the object (3) in the respective layer by exposure to a laser (7) or another energy source comprises a heating or cooling element (22) supplying heat to or removing heat away from the constituent material (3a) applied layer by layer. For smoothing the temperature distribution, an intermediate layer (23) having a highly anisotropic heat conductivity is provided.