Hidden and transparent
The Institute for Transuranic Elements is located within a strictly secured area. The ITU's mission is to provide the scientific basis for the protection of European citizens from the dangers associated with the handling and storage of high-level radioactive materials. The integration of the office and entrance pavilion from the 60s was the task in the expansion and reorganization of the office space.
The solitary pavilion was expanded into an entrance building with 3 times the area. The symmetrical addition of two components to the existing building on both sides and a comprehensively new façade envelope merges the building into a single unit. The continuous incision on the ground floor formulates a clear and widely visible access situation to the central access main line of the research campus. The 120-metre-long and 40-metre-deep building is lit inside by five courtyards.
Natural-coloured materials such as glass and aluminium form the façade. The metal shell is flexible and changeable, showing the rational and technical research work to the outside world. The anodized folding sliding shutters give the building a technical character and continuously change the appearance of the building depending on the weather and the use of the workplaces. In contrast to the deep and vertically structured outer façade, the inner courtyards are flat and evenly glazed. The courtyards are equipped with horizontally sliding sun protection lids made of expanded mesh, which create a light and intimate atmosphere in summer, comparable to a southern souk. The corridors and the courtyards are covered with dark grey lava basalt from the Eifel. This connects the interior and courtyard areas in a pleasant way.
Source: MGF Architects
Photos: Michael Schnell, Christian Richters
