A spirit of new beginnings defines the Obere Viehweide area in Tübingen’s northern district – a location dedicated to science, technology, sustainable energy solutions and cutting-edge research institutions. One of two locations of the Tübingen Reutlingen Technology Park (TTR), which ranks among Germany’s largest biotech incubators, is situated here. We recently completed a new office and laboratory building with an integrated cafeteria for the site. The campus-like setting at Obere Viehweide fosters cross-company networking among numerous start-ups and both emerging and established companies. Also located here is Cyber Valley, one of Europe’s largest research centres for artificial intelligence and robotics.
The new office and research building is now the fifth project we have implemented for TTR GmbH. Two office and laboratory buildings as well as a parking garage at the Reutlingen site, plus another building directly adjacent to the Campus at the Observatory, have already been in operation for several years. Like the two buildings in Reutlingen, the new structure is defined by its flexible usage potential while also blending harmoniously into the surrounding development. TTR GmbH leases the offices and laboratories in various unit sizes to different companies and start-ups.
A centre of science steeped in history
The new office and laboratory building is situated on the former site of the Institute for Immunology and the Federal Research Institute for Viral Diseases of Animals (BFAV), respectively. For more than 50 years, this institution conducted research into animal virus diseases before its Tübingen location was closed in 2011 and the research activities relocated to the island of Riems in the Baltic Sea. All that remains today is the former gatehouse – now a hair salon – and the “Ochsenmauer”, a relief created by artist Emil Jo Homolka for the federal research institute. Together with the historical observatory, they contribute to the unique atmosphere of Tübingen’s technology park.
Harmonious integration
Centrally located on the Obere Viehweide, the five-storey Campus at the Observatory fills a gap between the parking garage – also designed by us – and another office and lab building by TTR GmbH. Despite its prominent corner position on the main square, diagonally across from the old observatory, the L-shaped building is deliberately restrained. Through its proportions, façade design and colour scheme, it integrates with the surrounding buildings to form a cohesive campus identity.
Material selection with an eye for detail
A closer look reveals the care and attention given to material selection and detailing. The ground floor base, which structures the building, is clad in jade-green, three-dimensional, thin ceramic tiles whose angled surfaces vary in position, creating an iridescent play of green shades depending on the viewer’s perspective. The rounded corners – clad in ceramic tiles on the ground floor on one side and finished in off-white roughcast plaster on the cantilevered upper storeys above the main entrance on the other – highlight the entrance area and emphasise the significance of the corner position. The corner is additionally emphasised by the protruding corner glazing, behind which the communal areas for informal communication, i.e. the tea or coffee kitchens, are located on the respective floors. Flowing transitions within the ribbon windows are created by alternating between fixed louvers and external blinds, both in a warm golden shade. Golden metal window profiles also add to the understated elegance of the building’s overall design.
Flexible floor plan utilisation
This special attention to detail and the use of high-quality materials continue inside the building. The solid steel balustrade of the main staircase, for example, forms a harmonious symbiosis with the haptically appealing oak handrail, while large-format porcelain stoneware tiles with colour-accented stair treads and an atmospheric lighting design using LED strips on walls and ceilings round off the interior aesthetic. The five-storey building is accessed via a lift and two stairwells. These are grouped around the shared kitchenettes in the corner of the L-shaped floorplan, as are the toilet cores – a layout that optimises the use and accessibility of the available space and allows its flexible subdivision for a variety of tenants. The office and laboratory space on the four upper floors with their large spans and few supports can also be flexibly divided according to use and are typically organised as one or two rental units per floor. The ground floor accommodates a smaller office unit, a conference room and the cafeteria, which is open to the entire Obere Viehweide community. The cafeteria opens onto a quiet inner courtyard shaded by trees, offering seating areas for breaks and a generous outdoor dining space.
Technology for science
The building’s flexibility is largely supported by two technical and service shafts that are crucial for tenant-specific ventilation of the laboratories and provide central technical infrastructure for all users. Electricity for the building is generated in an environmentally friendly way by a photovoltaic system on the neighbouring parking garage. This energy is also used to cool the highly energy-efficient building (Efficiency House 40 standard) using modern air-to-water heat pumps. The Campus at the Observatory is heated by the nearby combined heat and power (CHP) plant operated by the Tübingen Municipal Utilities. The combination of renewable energy sources and efficient building services ensures both ecological and economical sustainability in terms of energy.
TTR offers spaces where big ideas can grow. Flexible floorplans, carefully selected materials and environmentally friendly technology provide the perfect framework for innovation.
