The Energy Lab 2.0 at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is an intelligent platform to research the interaction of components in the energy systems of the future and in particular to accelerate the energy transition in Germany by integrating renewable energies. Electrical, thermal and chemical energy flows as well as new information and communication technologies are brought together in a plant cluster. The project partners are the Helmholtz Centres, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ).
The new construction of Building 668 on a former experimental site with solar energy in the north of Campus North offers an attractive, high-quality and flexible location for this research. The free-standing building looks like a homogeneous unit with a translucent building envelope made of polycarbonate, which allows the wooden construction inside to shine through and houses a spacious, column-free test hall and a two-storey office wing.
The main access is from the west via a glass vestibule in the central access zone, which leads into the building between the offices and the hall along a light glass wall and allows generous views between these parts of the building. The right side opens to a hall, while the offices are oriented to the left. This is also where the control center, exam preparation, meeting rooms and ancillary rooms are located. In the middle of the building, a staircase and an elevator lead to the upper floor, where there are further offices and preparation rooms as well as a small staff kitchen with seating. The rooms assigned to the test areas are adjacent to the hall atrium and offer direct insights into this open space.
The test hall houses the "Power Hardware in the Loop" (PHIL) and "Smart Energy System Control Laboratory" (SESCL) areas as well as assembly areas for tests. The hall and the shed roof are generously clad with translucent polycarbonate panels, which allow an even incidence of daylight into the entire test area. Adjacent assembly areas for technical building elements with high heat loads are not part of the energy system of the building envelope, but ensure uniform heat dissipation and rear ventilation of the building elements with their slat façade.
The materiality of the hall refers to the neighbouring buildings with their industrial character. Window openings set selectively into the office façade enable targeted lighting of the interiors through their restrained design. While wooden and simple glass facades are the dominant design element here, the hall is characterised by the polycarbonate façade and the wooden construction of the shed roof.
Text: Behnisch Architekten
Photos: David Matthiessen
Isometrics: Cagla Sen in the seminar FACADE 4.0 at TUK
The preparatory work for this project publication was created as part of the building construction theory in the seminar FACADE 4.0 at the TUK through a student thesis by Cagla Sen.
