University of Cologne begins construction of new chemistry campus

University of Cologne begins construction of new chemistry campus

01/02/2024

One of the largest university construction projects in North Rhine-Westphalia will start on 8 January / Modern building complex with laboratories and classrooms to be erected at Greinstrasse

On 8 January, the University of Cologne will begin the construction of the new chemistry campus on the site between Luxemburger Strasse and Enrique-Schmidt-Cuadra Weg in Cologne-Sülz. The construction project will be realized over several phases until 2034. It will provide teaching and research facilities for the Chemistry Institutes, the Institute of Biochemistry and the Didactic Institutes of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The long construction period is necessary because in the course of the planned phases, new buildings will be erected, institutes will relocate, the old buildings will be torn down and then work will begin on the new building.

With a total approved building area of around 25,800 square metres - almost the size of four football fields - and a budget of almost 400 million euros, the project is one of the largest university construction projects in NRW. "The new chemistry campus is of the utmost importance for the entire university, as it creates state-of-the-art research and working facilities as well as optimal conditions for studying and teaching in an exceptionally important and high-performing subject," said Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee, Rector of the University of Cologne.

The modern building complex is adapted to the needs of scientists and students and will take the form of three ring-shaped structures containing laboratories, classrooms, storage facilities and libraries. Together with some of the existing chemistry buildings, it will compose a joint campus. The first construction phase with the erection of components (rings) 1 and 2, which are located on Luxemburger Strasse and Greinstrasse, will begin with the excavation of the building pit on 8 January. The pit and foundation work are already very labour-intensive, as in addition to extensive shoring work and necessary explosive ordnance detection and clearance, investigations by the Office for Soil and Monument Conservation also had to be considered. The first building section is expected to be completed in 2029.

The second construction phase will begin in 2030 with the demolition of the two side wings of the existing chemistry building and is scheduled to be completed in 2033 with the construction of building section 3 on Enrique-Schmidt-Cuadra Weg.

The ramp to the pedestrian crossing over Luxemburger Strasse will be demolished in the first quarter of 2024. A temporary staircase construction will provide access to the bridge from the direction of Greinstrasse. In the course of clearing the construction site and the subsequent construction work, there may be disruptions of pedestrian and bicycle traffic on Luxemburger Strasse out of town at the junction of Greinstrasse and Luxemburger Strasse because an exit for construction vehicles will be created there. As Greinstrasse is both an access road and part of the construction area, it will remain closed to general traffic. The UniCenter car park will also be closed. Vehicles will be towed starting on 4 January.

Planned construction phases:

Demolition bridge access 1st quarter of 2024

Begin excavation of construction pit 1st quarter 2024

Begin shell construction 3rd quarter 2025

Completion of 1st CP 1st quarter 2029

Inauguration and relocation 3rd quarter 2029

Demolition 2nd CP 1st quarter 2030

New construction 2nd CP/

completion of 2nd CP 4th quarter 2033

Inauguration and relocation 4th quarter 2034

Media Contact:Markus Gerhards
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+49 221 470 3890
m.gerhardsverw.uni-koeln.de

Press and Communications Team:
Dr. Elisabeth Hoffmann
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