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The urban and architectural ideas as conceived in the competition could only be realised in two of the four buildings: a three-story structure for laboratories, workshops and offices and a single-storey hall for large-scale experiments.

The laboratory building is a case study for the integration of architecture, construction and services. It is built with an economical prefabricated concrete structure: the floor slabs are corrugated in section so that every point within the flexible plan can be serviced from above and below. The plantrooms on the roof and in the basement are connected by risers along the central corridor. The horizontal distribution is facilitated by prefabricated U-sections that span up to 10 m, either to beams or directly through to the façade, where they are supported by paired columns.

The twin columns lend the external skin a certain depth and rhythm: this becomes a double façade that enables protection of external solar louvres as well as natural ventilation for the offices on the perimeter of the plan.

The single-storey hall is constructed as a steel skeleton: its skin consists of a full-height glass façade with internal colour-coated sunshades.

© noshe
© noshe

The colour treatment of the façades gives the building its special identity. A spectrum of 36 hues on both the loadbearing columns and the solar blinds unfolds on the undulating building skin.

The double façade consists of an inner layer with sash windows and an outer one with fixed glazing and slot openings for air intake. Between these layers there are colour-coated solar blinds. The façade is horizontally divided into floor-height sections. Vertically it is subdivided by the twin columns. Between these concrete columns there are building-height shafts, which are open towards the air at the top; on the floors towards the façade there are cavities on either side. Thus air starts to circulate convectively and allows for the controlled natural ventilation of every floor. This double façade further offers all the other advantages typical for this type of skin: improved thermal insulation of the exterior through buffer zones, effective solar, sound and wind protection.

© bitterbredt.de

The Atrium was developed after the competition, as – notwithstanding the need for deep-plan dark spaces for research into light – a central space was desired that would encourage communication and synergy between the various scientists.

© noshe
© bitterbredt.de
© bitterbredt.de
© bitterbredt.de

brief

  • Multifunctional Building for Laboratories, Workshops, Production Facilities and Offices

client

  • WISTA Management GmbH, Berlin

data

  • gross floor area: 11.690 m²
  • competition: 1995, 1st Prize
  • 1996 — 1998

awards

  • ar+d Award 1999
  • RIBA Award 1999
  • Deutscher Architekturpreis 1999, Auszeichnung
  • Aluminium Imagination Architectural Award 1999
  • Architekturpreis Beton 1999
  • Architekturpreis 1998, BDA Berlin, Special Mention
  • Architekturpreis der WestHyp Stiftung 1998
  • Constructec Preis 1998 für Industriearchitektur, Auszeichnung
  • AIA London/UK Excellence in Design Award 1996, Auszeichnung

project team

  • Peter Blackie 
  • Klaus De Winder 
  • Holger Frielingsdorf 
  • Francis Henderson 
  • Louisa Hutton
  • Heinz Jirout 
  • Holger Kleine 
  • Frederik Källström 
  • Annika Meier 
  • Markus Pfändler 
  • Katja Rohrbach 
  • Amir Rothkegel 
  • Matthias Sauerbruch
  • Kirsten Siepmann 
  • Jitse van den Berg 
  • Camilla Wilkinson