The gutting of the first of the four pavilions at Schlossplatz has been under way on Campus South at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) since this week. KIT is the new building owner, pushing ahead the general renovation of the building complex, which was built in 1968 and closed down in 2016 due to PCB contamination. An architecturally redesigned, flexibly usable, and sustainability-certified "Learning Center at the Castle" will be created by 2031 for a total of 66 million euros.
"I'm delighted that we can now give the go-ahead for this important future project with the gutting and decontamination of the first pavilion," says Dr. Stefan Schwartze, Vice President Operations at KIT. "Taking over the owner builder status from the Vermögen und Bau Baden-Württemberg State agency, we're assuming a new responsibility - and are extremely committed to it. Our goal is not only to renovate the pavilions, but to turn them into an innovative learning location that will also be visible in the city in the immediate vicinity of the Karlsruhe castle district."
The dismantling and disposal of the contaminated components in the eastern of the four pavilions (building 20.14), which is expected to last until the beginning of October 2025, will end the vacant state of the row of buildings, which has been ongoing since 2016. Due to PCB indoor-air values that were significantly higher than the precautionary and renovation guide values, the pavilions had been completely vacated at the time. As part of the general renovation scheduled to last until 2031, the building ensemble (buildings 20.11 to 20.14) with a gross floor area of 8,900 square meters is now to be put to new use.
The basic idea of the future "Learning Center at the Castle" is to create a modern and sustainable teaching and learning environment for KIT students and teachers. Specific teaching areas for internships will be created for the KIT Department of Physics in particular, and there will also be a central point of contact for the KIT Department of Economics and Management. KIT attaches particular importance to certified sustainable construction and to the implementation of its energy and climate protection concept. The architectural design of these specifications will be determined in a national competition. The simultaneous renovation of all four pavilions is then scheduled to begin in 2028. Decontamination has now started in Pavilion 20.14 and serves as a pilot activity, the results of which will be incorporated into further planning.
More Autonomy and Responsibility for Construction
The general renovation of the four pavilions close to the castle, estimated at a total cost of 66 million euros, is the first construction project that sees KIT act as the building owner on its Campus South. As a consequence of the second KIT Further Development Act, the State of Baden-Württemberg transferred the building owner status for Campus South, West, and East to KIT in April 2024. This meant that the matter, which was originally assigned to Vermögen und Bau Baden-Württemberg, could be taken up again by KIT and its Planning and Construction Projects business unit, which has been tasked with its implementation.
Post-War Modernism in New Splendor
Built in 1968 immediately east of Karlsruhe Castle, the pavilions with their flat roofs, functional grid façades, and a clear separation of structure and envelope are representative of the university architecture at the time. In combination with the green spaces between them, the freestanding buildings create an open, light-filled learning space. Although the pavilions are not listed, they are relevant to urban planning. Located on one of the central visual axes of Karlsruhe, they form an architectural link between the castle district and the university campus. (jha)
Being "The Research University in the Helmholtz Association", KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
