In the conversion of the heterogeneous building complex of the former heating plant — with its machine hall and hydraulic hall dating from 1912 — situated within the perimeter block development of the Technical University of Munich, special attention is given to preserving the two listed halls.

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Both halls will be retained. As a result, the machine hall and the hydraulic hall are “cut out” from the rectangular volume — this is the guiding design principle. Following the figure–ground concept, the old and the new together create a sum that exceeds its parts. Rather than responding to the halls with new extensions, they are integrated into the new building. Old and new become one, even though they never physically touch. The new structure is simply placed over the two listed halls.

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These halls will form the representative public part of the university building, housing both a café with a faculty club and a large event space with auditorium. The spatial quality of the two halls depends greatly on their glass barrel vaults, whose shimmering skylights lend a certain mystique to their industrial character. Above the halls, the new building forms two light courts, which also define the layout of the floor plans. Along the façades are enclosed rooms, while in the center an open learning landscape unfolds around the courtyards. In keeping with contemporary pedagogy, this is a flexible space for a variety of learning concepts, allowing the Technical University of Munich to present itself as a modern, forward-looking institution. The large open area for self-directed work offers a communicative, multimedia spatial concept for free use.

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The construction of the new building is an interpretation of the barrel-vault structure of the existing halls, creating a dialogue between old and new. The new clearly references the old without attempting to imitate it. The abstract form of a structural beam thus becomes something unique, with its own spatial qualities.