Walk & Talk
Around the pudding
Get out and stretch your legs or, as they say in East Westphalia: "around the pudding" (for all those not from East Westphalia: around the block). The route is easily accessible from the main building at various points and there is plenty to discover. As well as providing a good overview, it also gives an impression of the size of the main building - one circuit is around 1.7 kilometres and takes around 25 minutes to walk.
Station 1: The modernised building section
The handover of the first construction phase in September 2024 marks a milestone in the refurbishment of the main building. Following partial demolition, new construction and extensive 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 construction phase covered building sections A, B, K, S and R. These now house the new Student Service Centre, the BITS, part of the university library, a new cafeteria and the Audimax with the Chile mural.
Station 2: Ventilation system
What is that? Art on the building or a secret sign for agents? Actually, neither - it's a replica of the university's old fresh air intake. With the new ventilation system in the modernised section of the building, it is actually superfluous, but was reinstalled on the facade as a remake by Züblin at the request of the university and the BLB. However, as a distinctive element with recognition value, it can now be considered art on the building.
Station 3: Y-building
A glance away from the main building and just a few metres away is the impressive lecture building Y. When it opened in September 2021, additional space was created for teaching: The building houses a Lecture Hall with around 650 seats and three seminar rooms. The building was planned because the Audimax was also affected by the modernisation measures in the first construction phase, but the university could not do without its largest Lecture Hall for a longer period of time. In addition, the university had a long-term need for additional teaching space anyway.
The building also has some exciting features that make it more sustainable: The building features a wooden supporting structure from sustainable forestry. Heating and cooling are mainly provided by a heat pump, which is mainly supplied by a photovoltaic system on the roof. Other special features of the building include its north-facing orientation and the use of a demand-based ventilation system with heat recovery.
Station 4: Greenhouses and demonstration garden
Behind the greenhouses of the Faculty of Biology (where some wild plants can also be seen from the outside) is a demonstration garden. Newly planted, it will provide an insight into the diversity of different plant families from summer 2025. This will contribute to the sustainability concept by integrating useful plants and herbs and explaining how to grow them yourself. In addition, local species diversity and biodiversity can be illustrated and awareness of species protection can be raised at the same time. Information on the reestablishment of the demonstration garden can be found here.
Station 5: Sports fields
You probably know that there are many different sports courses at the University Sports Service Bielefeld. However, many of the courts can also be booked individually outside of course times. Whether it's beach volleyball, tennis, boules, the hard court or the outdoor gym - all of these facilities can be used without enrolling in a course. You can book one of the courts here.
Station 6: X-building and interim building
Did you know? The X building was the basic prerequisite for the modernisation of the main university building to start. At the same time, it forms the link to the North Campus with the CITEC building and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. The X building was officially opened in June 2014 and houses numerous facilities and some faculties on around 27,800 m² of main usable space. These include, for example, the university canteen, the Institute for Conflict and Violence Research (IKG), the Faculty of Sociology and part of the university library.
The interim building also plays an important role in the modernisation of the main building. During the planned second construction phase, a replacement for the library space located in this part of the building has been created. This means that the library's open-access operation can be guaranteed even during the construction work.
Station 7: 2nd construction phase
With the completion of the first construction phase in September 2024, the installation of the second construction phase has begun. The second construction phase concerns sections T, L and C of the main building. In order to start work there, the affected parts of the building had to be completely cleared. Accordingly, all facilities previously located here - such as the Language Centre and the campus radio station - as well as all employees of the affected faculties had to move.