TUM Faculty for Electrical and IT Engineering

The University and Research Centre Garching is part of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and is ranked as the largest research campus in Europe. Under the auspices of the Science City Garching master plan, from 2014 onwards the site will undergo a large-scale expansion. In the course of this process, a new complex will be built to house the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineer, which will move from the centre of Munich to Garching.

The focal point this development is a central public forum, around which the four faculty buildings are grouped. The forum consists of a glazed hall that joins all of the individual buildings with each other. All of the buildings are entered via the forum, which in turn is accessible from all sides. It acts as a public square in which the students and teaching staff can meet each other and linger spontaneously. The place is used by everyone in common, and the everyday routes and encounters encourage casual and informal exchanges, thus simultaneously promoting interdisciplinary cooperation. During larger events and festivities, this is where the identity of the faculty becomes publicly visible. The potential for interaction continues within the buildings themselves, as if in a spatial sequence. Informal spaces such as atriums and inner courtyards, which structure the interior of the building, again enable interdisciplinary and coincidental communication. Various additional spatial elements, such as walkways or niches, offer collections of people – ranging from larger assemblies to small study groups – the amenity to discuss.

The large and bright forum accommodates two large auditoriums, a cafeteria and flexibly usable areas for conferences or exhibitions. The four teaching buildings are supplemented by a parking facility. Each building is differently articulated in terms of base area and height. The first of two construction phases encompasses the building of five research units for staff and students. In order to satisfy the requirements of the individual functions, the workshops, the experimental hall and the clean and processing rooms are all arranged on the ground floor. Laboratories, seminar rooms and offices are located on the upper storeys and are used jointly by a number of working groups.