Old University
Augsburg
Name
Old University
Client
Universitätsbauamt Augsburg
Program
Facade Refurbishment
Location
Augsburg
Project
2009-2011
Status
completed
Parcel
–
Area
–
Footprint
–
The property is located in the southern part of Augsburg, in an industrial or commercial area. As part of an energy retrofit, this building complex of the University of Augsburg is now undergoing a fundamental transformation. The ensemble of five buildings—including a former jewelry factory that now serves as a University of Augsburg asset—is still very heterogeneous; its character reflects that of the 1950s: light and upward-moving, dominated by the striking rhythm of its load-bearing, visibly emphasized concrete skeleton, interspersed with infill parapets featuring clinker cladding and large-format window or glass block elements.
After the renovation, the vertical elements—once leaping forward and backward—are replaced by expansive, horizontal forms; calm and understated, yet timelessly aligned with contemporary trends, the new design makes its appearance. The existing building’s vertical structure is overlaid by a new superstructure arranged in a staggered, storey-by-storey manner, which unites two building axes at each level and creates a perforated façade with offset columns. The newly added, steel emergency staircases are enveloped in stainless steel nets.
Project collaboration with Seifert Hugues Architekten.
