Representatives from the University and the North Rhine-Westphalia state construction and real estate agency (Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb NRW, or BLB NRW) provided the first glimpses inside the innovative structure during the symbolic inauguration ceremony. A tour of the rooms allowed the guests to see for themselves how new concepts are enabling all manner of different space requirements for research and teaching to be met swiftly, flexibly, sustainably and in a future-proof way.
The new Rotation Building was constructed at an impressive speed, taking just around 16 months to go from topping-out to completion. With the inauguration of this new building on the Poppelsdorf Campus, BLB NRW and the University of Bonn are setting new standards for rapid, flexible and modern construction in higher education and sending out a signal for future-oriented research and teaching. Besides cutting-edge laboratories and seminar rooms, the building also presents opportunities for sustainable development and affords the University a degree of flexibility with its versatile spaces. Offering a home to various institutes and departments on a rotating basis, it will meet the needs of the science of tomorrow while also providing a long-term answer to the space question while other University buildings undergo much-needed renovation.
Flexible, fast and sustainable
Its crucial benefit lies in the modular construction method that BLB NRW employed in this project in partnership with the University and the supplier Cadolto Modulbau GmbH. Large parts of the building are made from prefabricated modules produced in specialist factories some distance from the construction site, allowing other work to be done there while they are being manufactured. This high degree of prefabrication also makes numerous work steps less weather-dependent, allowing them to be completed faster overall. “The building is a shining example of what modern construction can look like in a university setting: flexible, fast and—thanks to its usage concept, which is geared toward the long term—sustainable at the same time,” says Gabriele Willems, CEO of BLB NRW. “The Rotation Building gives us some important room for maneuver in respect of the many other construction projects that we’ll be tackling together with the University of Bonn over the coming years.”
“The Rotation Building is more than just an interim solution,” explains Holger Gottschalk, Provost of the University of Bonn. “It’s a versatile building that we’ll be able to use over the long term and that will enable us, one stage at a time, to carry out all the necessary renovation work in Poppelsdorf that’s coming up in the next few years. This is why flexibility is this building’s most important characteristic: it has to be able to adapt to the changing requirements of research and teaching in the future.” The first chapter in the building’s life will see it welcome some of the Nutrition and Food Sciences and Physics teams from Nußallee and Endenicher Allee.
A major enhancement for the Poppelsdorf Campus
With its innovative usage concept, the Rotation Building lets University departments tailor rooms to their specific requirements. From state-of-the-art laboratories to flexible seminar rooms, the building provides a space for research, teaching and dialogue at the highest level, enabling various institutes and departments to maintain their high-quality teaching and research even while their usual homes are being renovated.
The construction of the Renovation Building is emblematic of the Poppelsdorf Campus’s future purpose as an urban science and innovation hub. Aside from its functional benefits, the building can also serve as a role model for future construction projects that are increasingly about flexibility, speed, sustainability and efficiency.
With the inauguration of the Rotation Building, the University and BLB NRW are continuing to lay the foundations for a modern and adaptable higher-education landscape in Bonn that is capable of responding to new challenges in construction over the long term.
