Since July 2023, Bau- und Liegeschaftsbetrieb NRW (BLB NRW) has been constructing an interim building for Bielefeld University on the open space between the main university building and building X. The interim building, together with other library spaces in the main university building, will replace the library spaces in this part of the building. Together with other interim spaces in the main university building, the interim building will create a replacement for the library spaces located in this part during the planned second construction phase of the main university building. The single-storey lightweight construction with a planned area of approx. 2,000 square metres offers space for approx. 400,000 media from the book storage areas to be removed in the second construction phase as well as for approx. 20 workstations for users.
For the project duration of the second construction phase, interim accommodation is required for the departmental libraries of Psychology, Educational Science, Sport, Music (currently UHG unit T) as well as Linguistics and Literary Studies and the stacks (currently UHG unit C). Parts of the media stock will be housed in the new interim building, other stocks will remain elsewhere in the main university building.
The interim building will ensure the library's open access operation during the second construction phase. In addition, the central location enables short distances, direct approval and short provisioning times for users.
The university is subject to the requirement of BLB NRW to vacate the parts of the main university building located in the 2nd construction phase by the planned start of construction in 2025. There are no sufficiently large and structurally suitable spaces in the main university building for the library areas accommodated in the second construction phase with a volume of approx. 830,000 media units and 630 student workstations. Other library areas are planned for the first construction phase, which will then be completed. Interim accommodation is therefore unavoidable.
The aim of accommodating the media stock and workstations in a building located as centrally as possible on campus is to keep the restrictions on library services for the use of the physical media stock as low as possible during the interim phase. Studies, teaching and research should continue to be supported in the best possible way through good accessibility, direct approval and rapid (re-)availability of the media.
The interim building on the Campuswiese is associated with the criticism that a popular outdoor lounge and meeting place for students and employees would be restricted and that valuable green space would also be sealed. The Campus Festival, which is held annually on the Campus Meadow until 2023, can no longer take place as before. In addition, there have been isolated accusations against the university administration for not sufficiently involving the students in the decision-making process and for hastily rejecting alternatives to the Campuswiese site. This criticism is taken very seriously by the rectorate.
Between 2018 and 2022, various options for the interim accommodation of parts of the UB were examined between the university (rectorate, FM department, UB) and the BLB. In 2020, the university management was able to agree on a financial budget of 11.9 million euros with the SU. On this basis, three other alternatives were discussed in addition to the construction of an interim building on the campus lawn:
Due to the comparatively good planning and implementation feasibility within the budget framework as well as the advantages of centrally located interim accommodation, the "lightweight construction solution" on the Campuswiese was preferred and pursued further.
The university management's concept for interim accommodation was presented and discussed in various university committees between July 2022 and February 2023:
The concept was accepted in all of these discussions and received as a sensible solution.