Old Books, Old Walls — New Life
Georg-Eckert Campus of the Leibniz Institute for Educational Media | Georg Eckert Institute
The Georg-Eckert Campus, designed by Sehw Architecture, is a modern research campus of the Georg Eckert Institute for International Textbook Research in Braunschweig, Germany, as part of the Leibniz Association. The project includes the construction of a new library and the refurbishment and upgrading of existing buildings. Villa von Bülow, a neoclassical building from the 19th century, is listed as a historical monument and has been carefully restored. The former nurses’ residence of the adjacent hospital, dating back to the 1970s, has been incorporated into the research campus, also refurbished and repurposed as an administrative building. A delicate glass bridge connects the new with the existing buildings, creating an exciting interplay between old and new and a dynamic sense of identity.
“driven by the fascination of continuing the stories, rethinking spatial relationships and uncovering and revealing the qualities of the existing structures”
The two-storey library addition is the centrepiece and face of the ensemble. The ground floor features a transparent design, allowing views into the institute’s extensive book collection and glimpses of the park beyond. The upper floor is adorned with finely structured and perforated metal elements made of anodised aluminium, giving the building a light appearance amidst the greenery of the park and setting it apart from the plastered volumes of the existing buildings.
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Project type
New construction
Redevelopment
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Purpose
Education
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GFA
8,500 m²
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Project status
Completion 2022
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Period
2016 – 2022
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Procurement
Public tendering process
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Awards
Contract awarded
BIG SEE Architecture
Award 2024
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Construction cost
13,100,000 €
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Service phases
2 – 8 (HOAI)
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Project team
Koert op den Brouw
Birgit Schoenbrodt
André Stülp
Mark Wachendorfer
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Photography
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Publication