The eminent Foster + Partners practice has designed a Free University located in Berlin, Germany. For more images and architects' description continue after the jump:
From the Architects:
The foundation of the Free University in 1945 marked the rebirth of liberal education in Berlin after the war; since then it has occupied a central role in the intellectual life of the city. Today, with more than 39,000 students, it is the largest of Berlin's three universities. This redevelopment scheme includes the restoration of its Modernist buildings and the creation of a new library for the Faculty of Philology.
The University's mat-like campus was designed by Candilis Josic Woods Schiedhelm and was hailed as a milestone in university design when the first phase was completed in 1973. The facade was designed by Jean Prouvé, following Le Corbusier's 'Modulor' proportional system.
The foundation of the Free University in 1945 marked the rebirth of liberal education in Berlin after the war; since then it has occupied a central role in the intellectual life of the city. Today, with more than 39,000 students, it is the largest of Berlin's three universities. This redevelopment scheme includes the restoration of its Modernist buildings and the creation of a new library for the Faculty of Philology.
The University's mat-like campus was designed by Candilis Josic Woods Schiedhelm and was hailed as a milestone in university design when the first phase was completed in 1973. The facade was designed by Jean Prouvé, following Le Corbusier's 'Modulor' proportional system.
A translucent inner membrane filters daylight and creates an atmosphere of concentration, while occasional transparent openings allow glimpses of sunlight. The bookstacks are located at the centre of each floor, with reading desks arranged around the perimeter. The serpentine profile of the floors creates a pattern in which each floor swells or recedes with respect to the one above or below it, generating a sequence of generous, light-filled spaces in which to work. Interestingly, the library's cranial form has earned it a nickname of its own – 'The Berlin Brain'.
Project: Free University
Designed by Foster + Partners
Area: 46 200 m²
Capacity: 450 (temp)
Client: Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung
Location: Berlin, Germany
Website: www.fosterandpartners.com
