Physics Building New Construction at TU Berlin

This is what the new physics building will look like in the future.

The TU Physics New Building is the triangular building in the center.

This is what the new physics building will look like in the future.

The new physics building with the Center for Integrated Photonics Research (CIPHOR) on the East Campus of the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) will be constructed according to the plans of the architecture firm Telluride. As part of an expert colloquium, the Senate Department for Urban Development, Building, and Housing, as the client, the Senate Department for Science, Health, and Care as the needs provider, and TU Berlin as the future user, agreed on the design by the architecture firm Telluride. This followed a two-stage procurement process with an initial participation competition, in which five general planning teams submitted solution proposals for implementing the spatial and functional program.

The design impresses with a clear, functional architecture and a compact construction. For the nearly triangular plot between the Interdisciplinary Center for Modulation and Simulation (IMoS) and the economic building of the Berlin Zoo, located close to Zoologischer Garten station, the planners envisage a building with five upper floors.

The entire new building covers a usable area of 4,496 m² with a cost framework of 93.75 million euros, of which 6.7 million euros are allocated for new research equipment. In addition to federal funding of 31.325 million euros, TU Berlin finances the new building from its own funds.

Christian Gaebler, Senator for Urban Development, Building, and Housing:
"We are building for Berlin. The Senate Department for Urban Development, Building, and Housing, as the client, makes an important contribution to strengthening Berlin as a city of science with this research building. The architecture firm Telluride has come up with a design that more than meets the modern requirements for the building for experimental physics. The faculty and students will have an optimal environment there after completion to successfully learn and research future technologies such as photonics, quantum physics, and semiconductor research."

Dr. Ina Czyborra, Senator for Science, Health, and Care:
"Photonics, quantum physics, and semiconductor research are key sciences that will shape our technological future. They enable faster data processing, more precise measurement methods, and entirely new applications in medicine, communication, and energy. With the new building, we are creating an environment where these technologies can be advanced and their potentials for Berlin and beyond can be unlocked. The partial funding of CIPHOR through federal research funding is also a sign of Berlin's scientific policy success, further strengthening its leading role in these future fields."

Lars Oeverdieck, Chancellor of TU Berlin:
"I am very pleased with the jury decision and even more so that we are now moving forward with great strides. TU Berlin urgently needs this new building, as the existing physics building is so heavily in need of renovation that only this replacement new construction can serve as a solution. Only in this way can TU Berlin continue to meet the demands of excellent research."

Prof. Dr. Michael Kneissl, TU Professor for Experimental Physics and CIPHOR Spokesperson:
"It was primarily the functionality that convinced me about this design. The planners understood very well what is important for such a specialized building. With the new physics building, research on integrated quantum photonics at TU Berlin will have a forward-looking foundation that will significantly shape physics in the coming decades."

The facade will reflect the internal organization outwardly. It will be complemented by terraces as communication zones and wooden elements on the upper floors. The core of the building is the cleanroom planned on the second upper floor: with a support-free width of 14 meters, it will offer optimal conditions for highly specialized research. Greenery on the facade and roof, as well as the use of photovoltaics, will ensure sustainability alongside systems for heat recovery.

On the ground floor, epitaxy laboratories and a workshop will be created to allow easy installation of large equipment. The laboratories for laser and X-ray analysis are planned in the basement, while the areas for photonic quantum technologies will be located on the first upper floor. They will be heavily vibration-isolated and temperature- and humidity-controlled for optimal research conditions. On the side of the building facing IMoS, office spaces, co-working areas, and meeting rooms will be situated. The main entrance is located on the south; delivery access is planned via Müller-Breslau Street from the northeast.

From 2019 to 2021, an urban planning expert procedure was conducted, confirming the location of the future physics building at Müller-Breslau Street 11-12. A development plan for the Hertzallee North area is currently being prepared.

Under the leadership of the Senate Department for Urban Development, Building, and Housing, the commissioned engineers will continue to develop and implement the selected design together with TU Berlin. The goal is to begin construction in 2028.