Paul Ehrlich Institute
ATP wins 3rd prize in an important realization competition
3rd prize in the competition for a new building for the institute: The concept convinced the jury with its staggered organization of identical components around a central glazed hub. This creates a range of public and non-public zones that are interwoven with the surroundings in a number of different ways.
The prize-winning concept that was submitted to the invited, single-phase realization competition by ATP architects engineers is a comprehensive response to both the requirements and the high sustainability aspirations of the Paul Ehrlich Institute.
Before making its decision, the jury emphasized the great importance of the new building for Germany’s Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedical Pharmaceuticals. The Paul Ehrlich Institute researches, evaluates, and licenses biomedical human medicines and immunological animal medicines and is also responsible for the approval of clinical trials. For this reason, the concept for the institute had to take account of not only constructional, functional, and structural requirements but also the particular responsibility of the institute for its own development and operational efficiency. The new building complex, with its usable area of around 31,000 m², will contain not only laboratory and office space but also public facilities and an area for keeping animals.
The design that was developed by ATP in cooperation with GDLA Gornik Denkel landschaftsarchitektur and Dr. heinekamp Labor- und Institutsplanung incorporates a range of operational areas that offer a maximum of efficiency and functionality in combination with an elegant, homogenous architectural language and large areas of greenery.
Design concept
The concept proposes an ensemble of three to four, identically constructed four-story buildings. The identities of each volume are clearly legible, while their staggered layout opens up views to the surrounding greenery. The atrium building is a communicating, connecting element: a glazed hub, whose diamond-shaped, slightly-raised roof offers a contrast with the regularity of the other building elements. As a connector within the ensemble, this contains the main entrance and guides visitors into the public parts of the institute. With its transparent, solid, and timeless appearance, it dominates the complex and underlines the huge responsibility of the work of the Paul Ehrlich Institute.
Holistic sustainability strategy
The design provides the optimal basis for achieving the desired silver quality standard of the BNB thanks to a number of measures that offer ecological, economic, and social advantages. These range from the conscious selection of materials to the reduction of gray emissions and the use of renewable energy. In addition to this, the light-filled spaces, green atria, carefully design areas of greenery and other external spaces provide a rich experience for both the employees of and visitors to the institute.
