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02/27/2020 | Pressemitteilung

Architecture award for campus expansion

The Association of German Architects praises the campus extension of Kassel University as an "impressive completion of the urban ensemble". The university and the Landesbetrieb Bau und Immobilien Hessen received the "BDA Award for Building Culture" on February 27 at the Wiesbaden Museum.

Image: Sonja Rode/Light Catch.
The group of buildings for architecture, urban planning and landscape planning forms part of the campus extension. In the background on the left is the Science Park.

The laudatory speech states that the Holländischer Platz campus is "the impressive completion of the urban ensemble with its very diverse buildings. On the site of the former Henschel and Gottschalk factories, it is possible to discover "a knowledge landscape that is urban in the best sense of the word and that interlocks in a forward-looking way with the existing context of Kassel's northern city." This would happen "not only because of the various educational offerings, the social and cultural exchange, the mutual social and economic interdependencies, but precisely because of the special urban planning, architectural and landscape planning connections and additions." The university becomes "the public space of the city" while in turn "the city becomes the space of the university."

"In expanding our campus at Holländischer Platz, we were and are aware of the history and urban planning significance of the site," said University of Kassel Chancellor Dr. Oliver Fromm. "The award confirms to us that the concept of an urban development combining new buildings and redevelopment of industrial buildings is the right one. Recently, preparations have begun for the first phase of construction of the Natural Sciences, the next major project. The architectural competition for this first construction phase will already take into account the placement of the other construction phases, so that we also achieve a coherent ensemble and high urban development quality with these buildings." According to current planning, construction work on the first phase will begin in 2025.

The university has massively expanded its central campus at Holländischer Platz in recent years based on an urban development concept. New buildings include the new dining hall of the central cafeteria (commissioned in 2013), the Campus Center (2015), the Science Park (2015), the institute building of the Department of Architecture, Urban Planning, Landscape Planning (ASL, 2016) and the "Leo" learning space (2016). In addition, there are the conversion and renovation of the two historic gatehouses for the ASL department (2012, 2018) and the recently inaugurated student house, a renovated listed industrial building (2019). The urban development and design of the open spaces as well as the construction of the new student dormitory with daycare center (2014) are also part of the ensemble.

In its justification, the BDA particularly emphasizes the close and successful cooperation between the university's Department of Construction, Technology, Real Estate and the Landesbetrieb Bau und Immobilien Hessen (LBIH). As a result, both "have done a great service to building culture and thus to the community." The BDA award for building culture is dedicated to personalities, institutions, initiatives as well as companies that directly or indirectly make and have made good architecture possible, be it as builders, cultural workers, journalists, politicians or entrepreneurs. The award has been presented every five years since 2004/2005.

 

Press contact:

Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 561 804-1961
E-mail: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
www.uni-kassel.de