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Construction and Modernisation

© Universität Bielefeld

First Area of Construction

Map of the UHG showing the first construction phase

The handover of the first area of construction on 5 September 2024 marked a milestone in the renovation of the main university building. Following partial demolition, new construction and comprehensive modernisation by the Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (BLB NRW), around 75,000 square metres have been equipped with new technology, a highly insulated building envelope and a bright, modern appearance.

The first area of construction covered building sections A, B, K, S and R. A wide range of advisory and service offerings are bundled in a central location in the "Student Service Centre". Further information and support services from the university library and the Bielefeld IT Service Centre (BITS) will be located in the immediate vicinity. The Audimax and the Chile mural are also located here. In addition, administrative units, the Rectorate, the Faculties of Law and Health and the Institute of Mathematical Economics (IMW) will move into the new and refurbished space.

In 2014, BLB NRW began work on the first area of construction. Initially, the construction site area was technically and acoustically separated from the existing building. In the course of a due diligence (risk assessment) in 2016, BLB NRW, together with Bielefeld University, reorganised the planning of the first construction phase and commissioned a general contractor (Züblin) in 2019. The contractor started the next phase - the modernisation of the UHG - in April 2020.

Design

Visualisation of the building after the construction work
Bielefeld University

As the former main entrance had to be removed, an interim entrance C01 was initially created and redesigned in unit C01. In summer 2020, the gutting and removal of the pollutants in the building (including the Audimax) was completed. The former university canteen was also demolished in summer 2020. In late autumn 2020, work began on the modernisation of the facade in the first area of construction and the construction of a new building on the site of the former women's car park.

  • New entrance area
    Photo: Pilz, BLB NRW
    Bright and transparent, the new entrance area creates an interesting visual relationship between inside and outside.
  • view of the new library
    Photo: Pilz, BLB NRW
    There is space for thousands of books and student workstations in the new library.
  • New facade of the first construction phase of the university modernisation
    Photo: Pilz, BLB NRW
    The first construction phase of the university's modernisation presents itself with a new facade and a larger main entrance.
  • Topping-out ceremony in bright sunshine.
    Photo: Bielefeld University/M.-D. Müller
    March 2022: Topping-out ceremony in bright sunshine.
  • The craftsman Martin Rudolph gave the topping-out speech together with his colleague Mr Krause.
    Photo: Bielefeld University/M.-D. Müller
    March 2022: The craftsman Martin Rudolph gave the topping-out speech together with his colleague Mr Krause.
  • Wolfgang Feldmann (Technical Director of BLB NRW Bielefeld Branch), Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, (Minister for Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia), Dr Stephan Becker (Chancellor of Bielefeld University) and Gabriele Willems (Managing Director of BLB NRW)
    Photo: Bielefeld University/M.-D. Müller
    March 2022: Wolfgang Feldmann (Technical Director of BLB NRW Bielefeld Branch), Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, (Minister for Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia), Dr Stephan Becker (Chancellor of Bielefeld University) and Gabriele Willems (Managing Director of BLB NRW) (from left) are pleased with the progress of construction.
  • Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer, BLB NRW Managing Director Gabriele Willems and BLB NRW Branch Manager Wolfgang Feldmann
    Bielefeld University/M.-D. Müller
    December 2021: The shell of the new building in the first construction phase is finished (from left): Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer, BLB NRW Managing Director Gabriele Willems and BLB NRW Branch Manager Wolfgang Feldmann (in the background).
  • University Chancellor Dr. Stephan Becker and BLB NRW Branch Manager Wolfgang Feldmann
    BLB NRW/C. Pilz
    The scaffolding is already removed: University Chancellor Dr. Stephan Becker and BLB NRW Branch Manager Wolfgang Feldmann are pleased with the new façade on the main university building.
  • Aerial view of the UHG
    Bielefeld University/M.-D. Müller
    The new building is seamlessly connected to the existing building and will mainly house offices and seminar rooms in the future.
  • Aerial view of the UHG
    BLB NRW
    Spring 2021: Ongoing facade work in the first construction phase of the main university building.
  • Aerial view of the construction
    BLB NRW
    Spring 2021: Ongoing structural work for the new building on the site of the former women's car park.
  • Aerial view of the construction
    BLB NRW
    A 500-tonne truck-mounted crane with a jib height of around 100m is needed to erect the construction site cranes for the university modernisation.
  • A excavator in action
    Bielefeld University
    August 2020: The rubble from the demolition of the refectory will be reprocessed on site. From the end of the year, the university's new entrance will be built here.
  • Construction site: The long-arm excavator in action. Construction waste is sorted and processed on site.
    Bielefeld University
    July 2020: The long-arm excavator in action.
  • Construction site: The old refectory at the UHG is being demolished
    Bielefeld University
    June 2020: Demolition work on the former refectory has begun
  • People involved in conversation, the construction site in the background
    Bielefeld University
    Site manager Ms Arayan from Züblin in conversation with Chancellor Dr. Stephan Becker and project manager Ralf Kämmle and branch manager Wolfgang Feldmann from Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb NRW.
  • Aerial view of the demolition of the old refectory at the UHG
    Bielefeld University
    In the foreground: the former women's car park and the demolition work that has already begun in the area of the refectory.

Second area of construction

Map of the second construction phase in the main university building

With the completion of the first area of construction, the istallation of the second area of construction is now starting.

Information on the second area of construction

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