The Inselplatz Campus will be a place for research, teaching, meeting and communication
This architectural image shows the building complexes on the Inselplatz campus.
Picture: CODE UNIQUE ARCHITEKTEN BDA; typenraum
A modern, new university campus has been under construction on Inselplatz since March 2020. Four larger building structures will be erected in the heart of Jena. The Institute of Psychology will have its place here, as will the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, a branch library of the Thuringian University and State Library (ThULB) "Natural Sciences and Preclinical", as well as a cafeteria and the new University Computer Centre. This was preceded by a two-stage open architectural competition for the four buildings, the multi-storey car park and the outdoor facilities, jointly organised by the city and the Free State. Two Dresden-based firms, CODE UNIQUE Architekten BDA and QUERFELDEINS, prevailed among the 89 international applicants. Their award-winning design for the Inselplatz campus will now be realised.
When will the Inselplatz Campus be completed?
The Free State of Thuringia, represented by the State Office for Construction and Transport, is the builder, and the user is Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The total cost of the buildings is around €230 million. The Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science buildings and the computer centre are being co-financed with around € 57 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This makes the Inselplatz Campus the second-largest university construction project in Thuringia after the Jena University Hospital. The foundation stone was ceremonially laid on 7 September 2020, and the EU-funded buildings were completed in 2024. The remaining buildings will be completed by mid-2026. During the foundation stone laying ceremony, a time capsule was buried. It contains a face mask from the university, the English edition of Lichtgedanken No. 7 'Future without Growth', a music box with Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' from the city, as well as daily newspapers and coins from the state.
From the model to the topping-out ceremony – the Campus Inselplatz is beginning to take shape
A special challenge is the high requirement on the energy efficiency of the buildings, because the energy conservation regulations are to be significantly undercut. For example, the heat and refrigeration supply will be supplied via 60-metre-deep geothermal probes under the building structures. In addition, the waste heat from the Computer Centre and the energy from the photovoltaic systems on the roofs are used for the energy supply of the buildings. The state and the University are thus committing themselves to sustainable and energy-saving use.
With its protected courtyards, green open spaces and short distances, Inselplatz is designed to facilitate encounters and establish itself as an inner-city hub for communication. With the Inselplatz campus, we are shaping the future of our university and our city. This new campus will be a place where knowledge is created, talents converge and innovations originate. It showcases what makes Jena unique: the courage to embrace change and the power of collective creativity,” says Prof. Dr. Andreas Marx, President of Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
Until now, the University facilities have been partially scattered and decentralised in rented office buildings in the city, which no longer meet the usage requirements. The new building will significantly improve study and research operations. But not only the University, but also the citizens of Jena are to benefit from the new campus. The new campus will completely redesign the public space of the city centre and further strengthen Jena's unique connection between University and city life.
Image: CODE UNIQUE Architekten BDA
Equipped fot the future
From modern research laboratories to cafeterias – the building facilities of the new campus.
Inside and outside perspectives
Image: CODE UNIQUE Architekten BDA
Lecture Hall Foyer of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
The foyer of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science houses a coffee point between the lecture hall and the stairway to the seminar rooms.
