New Research Building – „Global Relations“

University of Erfurt

The new building for cultural and social science research at the University of Erfurt is inspired by the idea of a city that offers differerent ways of interaction and communcation. In a light and open environment, the facility offers a mix of public, semi-public and private spaces.

White four-story building with large windows on seen from the corner. Green lawn in front and a larger deciduous tree to the right.

Facts about the project

  • Client

    Free State of Thuringia, represented by the Thuringian Ministry of Infrastructure and Agriculture, represented by the University of Erfurt

  • Place

    Erfurt, Germany

  • Status

    Completed

  • Photographer

    Steven Neukirch

A larger number of black, smaller numbered mailboxes placed on a raw concrete wall. Some cubes of oak in different sizes are mounted next to the mailboxes.
A larger open area where the walls are made of concrete and the lantern is made of glass. An open staircase solution with an oak staircase and glass railings.

Interior with a focus on open spaces

The research building is intended to facilitate the implementation of a research program analysing global relations and is named accordingly. The goal has been to provide an environment that supports both individual work as well as the collaboration of working groups or even the entire research network.

The heart of the four-story building offers a generous public space, which is formed around a stairwell that extends over all floors. A sculpturally designed open staircase with seating steps in light wood invites people to linger and enables chance and diverse encounters. From the stairwell you can see large glass walls that break off from exposed concrete walls. The proximity to the semi-public spaces via the glass partitions and the lighting, creates dynamism. The private reflection zones, so called “thinking cells”, are grouped around the public space and these individual modules are separated by a translucent filter. They form the outer building ring and offer a hierarchy-free structure with short distances.

  • White four-story building with large windows seen from the side. A larger tree to the right and grass in front.
  • View from the first floor of the stairwell towards the ground floor and second floor. Oak staircase with glass railings and raw concrete walls.
  • The stairwell seen from the ground floor. Oak stairs with glass railings, raw concrete walls. The black mailboxes are visible under the stairs.
  • View from the stairwell where you can see into a couple of conference rooms and above them is an open area connected to the stairs and adjacent corridors.
  • Larger conference room with white tables and chairs for 24 people. Gray floor and the far wall in light wood with two TV screens. Modern lighting in the ceiling.
  • View from above of a stairwell where the staircase and railings are entirely in black against raw concrete walls.
  • Close-up of modern larger round metal lamps.
1 / 7

Innovative facade design

The facade, inspired by the thinking cells, consists of modules where each one is framed by exposed white concrete. The subtle difference in the deep expression of the frames creates a lively, but structured expression. While the outer facade is characterised by the interplay of the individual modules, the interior reflects the building’s complexity and spatial depth. The restrained selection of materials and colours enhances the structure of the interior and exterior surfaces and the difference in depth, creating a modern and pleasing design. The lighting concept, complements the building’s design.

Sweco Architects beat almost 50 other entries, in a competition to design a building for the University that is fit for the future.

In cooperation with OBERMEYER GmbH.

More projects

H.C. Ørsted Gymnasium

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Chemnitz University of Technology

See all projects