Library of Philology at University Munich
Since its construction in 1833-1834 under the reign of Ludwig I, Friedrich von Gärtner's design for number 25 Ludwigstrasse has become a landmark on one of Munich's most prestigious streets. Our design preserves the listed facades, which will enclose an entirely new core hosting the library. The volume has been completed by a renewed facade along the public square. The building is organised around a central zone spanning between two solid cores. Double-height main floors are punctuated by galleries within which preserve the ceiling height of the historic building and thereby a sense of its distinct grandeur as one moves through the varying levels.
The overarching architectural concept is based on the idea of closing an open building shell, and in turn how to meaningfully fill the new space. The louvred facades' gentle cantilever evokes an abstract image of bookshelves - a subtle reference to the use which lies within. The choice of facade and the variation in floor heights serve to maximise the daylight which reaches the central areas. All design interventions have been developed with a view to harmonising the building's appearance and unifying all components into a new whole.
Concept and idea.
The entire building stock was gutted in accordance with the programme, and the existing listed exterior walls were retained. The building was structured horizontally by a central span that spans between two massive cores. The vertical division was achieved by stacking main floors with a large room height and central gallery levels with half the room height. The intermediate areas are surrounded by the two-storey room layer, the room heights correspond to the room heights of the existing building of 5.5-6.0 m, their heights are slightly altered. The characteristic generosity of the existing building is retained in the new building.
Construction and material.
The overarching concept idea is based on the principle of structured filling of the historic building shell. The new load-bearing structure is derived from the existing building and is designed as a solid construction of reinforced concrete floors and reinforced concrete columns. The new west façade takes over the horizontal structure of the historic façades. In the existing façades, the design theme is formed by continuous horizontal cornices. The height of the cornice lines is retained in the addition, but the cornice theme is formed inverted as a seam. In between, a level of vertical metal slats forms a calm and homogeneous façade filter and a clear façade order also derived from the existing building. The slight projection of the lamella structure creates an abstract image of a bookshelf with a subtle reference to the use behind it. The type of façade design, the structuring of the levels combined with the great room height allows for maximum daylight illumination right into the central areas. The soffits of the ceilings on the main floors are plastered, the rest of the interior is predominantly in wood, directly linking its material-specific qualities with those of the paper pages of the book. The building theme can be read abstractly in terms of filling a large bookshelf.
Ecology and sustainability.
The compact form of the building is an essential factor for economic efficiency in construction and operation. High-quality insulation of all building components and minimisation of the thermal building envelope guarantee low operating costs. The use of ecological and robust building materials guarantees a long service life and makes a positive contribution to the issue of sustainability. A resource-saving construction method enables the material cycles to be closed.
Design Team: Andreas Cukrowicz, Anton Nachbaur-Sturm, Christian Schmölz, Tobias Beyrer
Team Projekt: Anton Nachbaur-Sturm, Stefan Abbrederis [PL], Julia Grund, Miriam Perez Morel, Clemens Hämmerle, Michael Abt, Philipp Schertler, Tobias Beyrer, Michael Mayer, Gregor Benz, Lukas Glogger, Chris Ritter, Maximilian Blume, Alexander Lukas, Dominik Hofstetter, Christian Schmölz, Andreas Cukrowicz.
