The competition of the "Library and Seminar-/Verwaltungsgebäude as a new face to the City University Duisberg-Essen in Essen, we got to Bernd Bronnert Chestnutt_Niess Architects in association with a purchase.
We are very pleased with the recognition, finally, were the 30,000 sqm space program is a great challenge!
Here an extract from the Explanatory Report:
urban planning
What has been the web site of the University of Duisberg-Essen contends that the architectural Features a back side. Now it becomes the front. The urban development of the previously noisy and polluting track surface is a need to think about the past and back to the original master plan of the campus from scratch.
We interpret this development as natural growth. Like an onion layer is to develop the campus to the south. The University of road is to be recovered as usable space in the form of a campus to campus Boulevards. The boulevard is to stroll, relax and intended for communication. The Green Centre is to remain at the heart of the campus. It is to the existing but also new compounds with large the new university and urban development are linked.
The new urban layer is understood as a filter as an input and as a face to the city.
The ribbon-like development of the campus extension provides for a base building, whose upper edge at the height of the new town development of the university area is located. The height difference between city and university campus and this is discussed in the building complex integrated active. The base is home to all public functions, such as large lecture halls and classrooms of the rotating building and the window with exhibition spaces, the entrance to the student service center and the main entrance of the new library with their library facilities. These areas are all along for the students of the new University Boulevard (formerly University Street) opened up a clear and generous.
shifted light from the main urban axis and above the base "float" to lift the cube of the new library. The urban spatial axis opens with a view of the library in a corner, as already practiced by the ancient Greeks to hear the plasticity of the building. At this opening, next to the library, as the interface between town and university, a place created with a large flight of steps for connection to the campus level and the boulevard. This square is located in the West an entrance for visitors to the open part of the library and the café in the East, which enlivens the space. The eastern wall of the square, the Cafe will be taken from the first component of the rotating building. As part of the "showcase" this wall space with a wide slit of light is provided, which slides over a flight of stairs and a disabled lift the visitors on the lower level. The urban character of the "filter" of the rotating building along the park, the Rheinische Bahn "offers strollers a controlled and vistas, and pedestrian connection to the campus.
The Rotation building
The rotation consists of several buildings connected to each other wings. These structures allow an urban structure and permeability of the band as an urban development filter. The wings are also also the best use of natural light arranged largely with transparent windows as metal and Glaspanellen to the west and east. Connection components prevent the north-south oriented lines as noticeable "houses" together. By combining a variety of components resulting from cross-connections between the bars, and the communication area located here gives them a vitality in daily Use. All wings of the building are connected via a rotary wide "highway" in the basement clear and short-barreled one another. On this highway the big lecture halls and seminar rooms, and the access areas are clearly arranged and easy to find.
halos and light slots donate to the basement of natural light. These light elements divide the highway and accompany the room with rhythmic expansions. These give the rooms located there a clear orientation. The opening track of the highway continues on the ground floor. From the ground floor to grow the components of the wings of the building rotation from the tectonic language of the base out because they are covered with colored concrete elements. All components are in their support structure with long-span ceilings used flexibly. Top storey to the west allow a good light - even into the basement. By the orientation of the wings are possible through and views towards the city from almost all offices, laboratories and seminar rooms.
west in the bolt-shaped structure of the library will provide the student service center. The building is also the prelude to a future expansion of the new university bands to the west. This urban expansion is similar in urban homes as the building rotation be continued and, together with the new library, the new face and an urban edge of the university.
The library
The library as a "shining" body "floats" visually by the urban belt of the new campus layer and works through its shimmering skin and height as a probability and hand signals, visible from the city and from the green center the campus. While the open stacks and areas with OPAC Vorhalteflächen for loans in the basement are located only accessible from the secure area, the logistics of many areas are claimed and (textbook collection, update, return desk, Information areas, delivery, etc.) in the basement at the main entrance on the boulevard and the foyer window located.
While these communicative spaces near the entrance of the library are provided, the quieter areas are distributed on the way up into the tower of the library.
The areas in front of an assurance body for information, designed library room with wardrobe space in the basement generous. Here is a small bookstore by using teaching aids, etc. as well as a copy center square. Synergies arising from the exchange between the open area of the library and the events of the exhibition space and events in the library room and the window with the representative large lecture hall. This interweaving of the library with the other functions should be the library, both physically and virtually become the "information and communications hub" in the center of the university. All these areas are therefore both the place and the campus from tabloid accessed directly and easily. The highway has its beginning and end here at this forum.
The secure area of the library beginning at the information and circulation desk. Here of course are self-check points located and provided a broad transition to the textbook collection. Behind the circulation desk are offices and rooms of the accounting, lending and sorting arranged around a large courtyard. The delivery of media according to its own service entrance. The offices and work spaces of the other floors have been arranged to follow the "Running of the media" from the delivery of treatment up to the shelf. Near the audience "back office" (loan, interlibrary loan and digital library) are in the base or ground floor, next to the update provided. The audience remote offices (Department of media editing and encoding and an access in the first two floors.
happen after the book security gate leads the visitor up a wide staircase, or as fast connection three glass elevators People in the tower of the library. The new library offers students space to learn individually or in groups to develop content, to exchange information and experience.
Students should be able to visit the library around the clock (24 hours / 7 days). They should understand the library as a "Learning Center" that is, as "office" and living at the same time. The spatial arrangement and basic organization is trying to offer different types of learners. Both individual workstations, group rooms and learning and reading rooms and lounges Silentien be provided. The study areas are designed differently, for example as small jobs with a table and chairs to the break-out rooms for several People facing up to the big thematic reading rooms and a reading garden as Silentium the sky.
The arrangement of the regions and jobs were arranged by us as to noise and frequency zones. Basically, louder and more busy areas are down and the quieter and less frequented areas stipulated above. This acoustic organization is concentrically provided on each floor. The center, the loudest, like a small town square with one information desk, and OPAC cars and lifts and toilet facilities. After the outside it is quieter. Very quiet jobs than carrels or studiolo are usually assigned to the reading rooms and other areas of the separately.
Above the entrance to the basement and ground floor, the first is occupied by the six themed reading rooms that accompany the use and development of the library are divided into the air and. As the first room hangs like a bell-shaped shell of the periodicals reading room above the entrance.
From the second floor is the first of the four, according to the directions oriented three-story reading rooms with different themes. These are manifested in the formulation and design of the rooms. From the third floor, the rooms are made against. This game of two rooms as compared to body deals with the changing rooms until the 7th Upstairs on. The two halls are formed in the space of the library as two buildings opposite the center stage. The course is the communicative range. The highly customizable Buchaufstellfläche divides the surface of the floor. Facade areas are maintained for a flexible number of working groups, and reading courses. be
materials, facade, room acoustics
The north and south facades of the band (rotating building) "hard" design - from a panel of pre-fabricated, colored precast concrete. The east / west facades are "soft" design, as Metal and glass panels. The facades are daylight-optimized, so that the rooms are also on a cloudy day provides sufficient natural light. A two-piece sun protection that can be opened in the upper area, while it is closed in the remaining region, provides sun protection with activated for sufficient natural light in the rooms. The artificial light is controlled by the level of daylight.
The facade structure of the library tower is designed as a functional and creative layering. The stratification is to give the building a mysterious depth, and produces a shimmering reflection of light, a facility of dematerialisation suggest. For refraction and Glare is provided an outer skin of stainless steel mesh stretched. A catwalk allows accessibility for maintenance and cleaning, etc. Behind the easy-care stainless steel mesh to openable windows in wood / glass construction with an exterior side skin made of aluminum. During the day, the light reflects against the second reflective skin is like a watercolor by the stainless steel mesh again reflects vividly the outside. The elements are provided for cleaning the inside can be opened. On all four facades of external solar protection blinds are provided with a light control at the top.
The cube is floating lightness of the library on all four sides of the large Incisions interrupted the reading rooms. Here is a ventilated exterior glazing with a second inner layer of a thermally insulated post frame structure. In the façade cavity is the sun protection curtain. This design is intended to emphasize and outlooks of the reading rooms.
open spaces
forms of urban-spatial approach to the draft a new edge of the campus on the city side (university district) as a linear development. The concept clearly articulating in this space of the former University of road is seen as Campus Boulevard and shaped. Head is a redesigned stage space at the Gladbeck Street, the backbone of the Boulevards is a double row of honey locust avenue possible. The area under these trees is designed as a water-permeable, 'soft' surface area, which is designed as a meeting and recreation point. The surrounding 'hard' surface areas are moving space for pedestrians and cyclists and also take up the development and delivery traffic. Individual motorized transport does not take place anymore. Green traces in the form of long green flower beds, established edges support the linearity of the space. In the northern areas of expansion for inventory is a grove of trees (Amelanchier) in a meadow as a shady rest island and leads in the green inner campus that is more of a garden room at the University. A new important link between the inner campus and the Campus Boulevard is an existing building created by the S V15 pushed linking greenhouse. The new building
edge from library, seminar and administration building is separate places / farms in rail-like design lengthwise, each of the links between urban green space and the University and are at the peak level of the urban port. The focus here is the place to the library, located at the top of the green space of the university district. A grand staircase connects the campus on the Boulevard Place with the new district. The materiality of the courts and courts is based on the proximity to the former railway lines and consists of various brick, steel and concrete blocks and elements.
The entire design is designed so that a further extension west to point can be made to Segerothstraße.
