E.ON ENERGY RESEARCH DEPARTMENT Building

Zaha Hadid Architects - E.ON ENERGY RESEARCH DEPARTMENT Building

Firm: Zaha Hadid Architects Website: www.zaha-hadid.com Location: Aachen, Germany Type: Research Lab   The new E.ON Energy Research Department building at RWTH University in Aachen emerges from between existing rail tracks, grass and tree slopes and a 4-lane arterial road. Our concept translates the direction and contours of the site as a primary form generator for the building and connects the two arms of the university campus into a larger spacial gesture.           There is a close correlation between the structure and form of the proposal to movement within the building and around it; the natural day light and airflow across the site. The structural and aerodynamic fi ns along the length of the roof-scape allow for the modulation both of daylight and wind stream airflow over the roof, maximising the provision of natural light and ventilation to all parts of the building interior     A long integrated landscaped path guides people to the main entrance. From here a central corridor continues inside and becomes a circulation passage interweaving the program and levels. The internal passage divides the programme into two clear bands, one internal practical pocket with laboratories and secondly the enclosing academic band on 2 levels with 5 departments - including a library and meeting rooms facing the train tracks.           At the far northerly corner of the building, the roof envelope rises, marking a turning point of the internal passage. The 2 storey open gallery, with staircases at each end and a middle ramp that form a circulation loop, generating a constant fluency of movement between the practical and academic volumes.                                       PROJECT DATA:   E.ON ENERGY RESEARCH DEPARTMENT-RWTH AACHEN [AACHEN, GERMANY] 2006 PROGRAM:                                          E.ON Energy Research Department RWTH Aachen,                                                            5 Faculties, Laboratories, Seminar Rooms CLIENT:                                               Building and Real Estate NRW, Aachen ARCHITECT:              Design.................................................Zaha Hadid Architects Project Architects.................................Gernot Finselbach and Philipp Vogt Project Team........................................Gernot Finselbach and Philipp Vogt, Sebastian Arnold, Mingzhe Lu,                                                             Nadeen MIrza, Stefan Rinnebach Competition Team................................Britta Knobel, Arnoldo Rabago, Margarita Yordanova Valova,                                                              Graham Modlen, Nils Fischer, Sara Klomps, Helmut Kinzler CONSULTANT ARCHITECT:                    Mayer Baehrle Freie Architekten bda (GER) CONSULTANTS:                                    Structure.............................................VSI Ingenieurbüro (Aachen, GER) Services, M&E......................................Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH (Stuttgart, GER)                                                             BFT Planung GmbH (Aachen, GER) Facade................................................PBI Fassadentechnik (Wertingen, GER) SIZE / AREA: Program............................................. 5.000 sqm COST:                                                 17.4 million Euro CONSTRUCTION:                                 Spring 2009