PROJECTS / OECONOMICUM DÜSSELDORF
A New Communication Hub for Düsseldorf University
Christoph Ingenhoven has established a new landmark for Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf with the new Oeconomicum building, situated between the university library and the medical faculty. This development features a three-story faculty building with a spacious glass facade overlooking the university lake. The entire structure, with its gently curved shape, is oriented towards the adjacent waterscape. A key aspect of the design was to foster a sense of transparency, reflecting a shared understanding of teaching and research in terms of scientific work, exchange, and synergy.
The Oeconomicum is elevated on stilts, utilizing the site already used for access to an underground parking garage. This clever use of space required no additional land for the new building and simultaneously created a covered bicycle parking area.
With its all-glass walls, the building design actively promotes academic exchange and communication, embodying a new approach to teaching and research. Previously inaccessible, the adjoining university lake is now bordered by an inviting wooden terrace. This addition has created an ideal setting for working and learning outdoors. The terrace has become a bustling meeting point for the entire campus, used daily by students and faculty alike.
The facade design is based on energy conservation principles: it is open towards the south and has minimal openings towards the north. The design of the office areas in the southern section is flexible, allowing for various sizes of work and meeting spaces. The interior design concept provides ample space for scientists and students to collaborate and think creatively.
The seminar rooms are situated on the first floor, while the offices are located on the floor above. The teaching staff offices on the building's north side have glass walls facing the open areas in the center, promoting communication, providing daylight, and offering panoramic views of the waterscape. The atrium along the south facade connects the common areas and teaching rooms on the first floor with the department offices on the upper floors.
The building's operating costs and energy consumption have been minimized. Utilizing geothermal energy, rainwater harvesting, and natural ventilation, the compact structure surpasses current energy conservation standards. Emphasizing environmental responsibility, materials were chosen based on criteria of recyclability, energy efficiency, and durability, ensuring a robust building that will serve many generations of students.
The new Oeconomicum building, serving as the faculty building for economic sciences, marks the beginning of a comprehensive renovation of the university complex, including modernizations and new constructions. The Heinrich-Heine University site in Düsseldorf was previously characterized by four- to six-story concrete buildings from the 1970s.
Since 2019, an extension has expanded the Oeconomicum westward to the site boundary, adding approximately a third more to the building's volume. The extension mirrors the radial grid and exterior design of the original structure.
The new Oeconomicum building, serving as the faculty building for economic sciences, marks the beginning of a comprehensive renovation of the university complex, including modernizations and new constructions. The Heinrich-Heine University site in Düsseldorf was previously characterized by four- to six-story concrete buildings from the 1970s.
Since 2019, an extension has expanded the Oeconomicum westward to the site boundary, adding approximately a third more to the building's volume. The extension mirrors the radial grid and exterior design of the original structure.
Data
Construction start Phase I 2008
Completion Phase I 2010
Construction start PhaseI II 2017
Completion Phase II 2019
Client Schwarz-Schütte
GFA existing building: 5,000 m²
extension building: 2,000 m²
Green Building DGNB Silver
Credits
Structural & Facade Design
Werner Sobek
Fire Protection
BPK Brandschutz Planung Klingsch
Landscape Design
iWKM Weber Klein Maas
Lighting Design
Tropp Lighting Design
Mechanical Services Installations & Building Physics
DS-Plan
Soil Report, Existing Building
Institut für Erd- und Grundbau Dr.-Ing. W. Sievering
Survey
Dipl. Ing. Bernd Schiffer—Surveyor by public appointment
Transportation Engineering
Durth Roos
Conveyor Technology/Logistics/Vertical Access Design for Existing Building
Jappsen Ingenieure
Awards
2012
Green Good Design Award 2012
International Architecture Awards 2012 – nominated