Whilst working at the BHBVT  the project of the University of Rostock was obtained through a first-prize competition. It is scheduled to be completed in 2026 and will have a gross floor area of 22,515 square meters, with a total cost of €102.0 million.

The new university library building closes off the campus to the south along the S-Bahn railway line. To the north, a cluster of smaller former barracks buildings naturally creates a square that becomes a main communication point, carefully mediating between public space and the center of the campus.

Facing east towards the “Am Röper” square, the development further defines and strengthens it through the careful design of a striking front facade of the library building and an adequately articulated new administration building. Additionally, it invites people by opening up to the main campus center with its grandiose staircase and the parallel access ramp that mediates between the different height levels of the site. The project provides easy access for visitors coming from the S-Bahn and the tram stop in the southeast to the university campus, thus allowing for a stronger connection to the city.

The two new buildings react to the challenging urban condition with their specific forms. They adapt and articulate themselves as self-confident, independent objects in the urban fabric. Their materiality, red brick, further enhances the strong presence of the development and connection with the existing campus buildings. The buildings are characterized by a strict grid with deep horizontal and vertical masonry elements. Large openings highlight the educational aspect of the main building, providing plenty of light for its users. To take advantage of the building’s orientation, the design allows for large fixed windows to the north, ensuring maximum transparency, and more opaque elements to the south with lattice masonry or completely closed windows.

The plan of the main building consists of a main library space across all floors, two main staircase spaces with skylights (one being the Agora with seating stairs), seminar rooms, a cafeteria and working spaces. The main aim of the design is to create a contemporary library, providing an optimal learning environment inside, while appearing transparent and inviting on the outside.

In addition to the two new buildings, three listed existing buildings will also be converted into the Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute for Prehistory and Early History, providing laboratory, office, and archive spaces.

Images courtesy of BHBVT Architekten. Copyright BHBVT Architekten.