Henning Larsen has been named as the designer of the new 376,700-sf campus building for Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) after a two-stage competition and dialogue process. The project is located on the edge of the Innsbruck city center.
The new building will create a unified campus for MCI for the first time in the school’s history. Bordered by the city to the south and east and by the historical Hofgarten to the north and west (and the Alps all around), the building is designed to have no back or front. Multi-story entries are carved into each facade to break the scale of the building in relation to its surroundings. These pockets are planted with gardens to match the identity of their neighbor. For example, the mountain-facing north entry features alpine flowers while the southern city-facing entry is an urban terrace.
Classrooms and lecture halls populate the outer edge of the ground level, framing a fluid interior space with a large community stair in the center that links the three levels of learning spaces and also serves as a community space itself. Learning floors are designed to be open and flexible, with nearly as much unprogrammed space for students to study, socialize, and rest as there is actual classroom space.
The building’s upper floors are divided in two sections, one containing offices for MCI faculty, administration, and students, and the other containing laboratories and research spaces. The design is dense, with four cores that serve not just as vertical circulation, but also as social hubs within the large floorplates.
Construction on the facility is expected to start in fall 2023 with move-in expected for early 2025.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Jun 13, 2016
Renovated Drexel University academic building will welcome students with front porch
A large screen sets a living room vibe for the Philadelphia academic building. Plans call for 9,000 sf of common space on the inside and a new quad on the outside.
University Buildings | Jun 13, 2016
Universities infuse tech features into learning, living, and shopping spaces
Virtual learning rooms, gaming stations, and self-check-out kiosks are among the perks—and necessities—that have all become commonplace in college campus design.
Office Buildings | Jun 10, 2016
Form4 designs curved roofs for project at Stanford Research Park
Fabricated of painted recycled aluminum, the wavy roofs at the Innovation Curve campus will symbolize the R&D process and make four buildings more sustainable.
University Buildings | Jun 9, 2016
Designing for interdisciplinary communication in university buildings
Bringing people together remains the main objective when designing academic projects. SRG Design Principal Kent Duffy encourages interaction and discovery with a variety of approaches.
Building Team Awards | May 31, 2016
Gonzaga's new student center is a bustling social hub
Retail mall features, comfortable furniture, and floor-to-ceiling glass add vibrancy to the new John J. Hemmingson Center.
University Buildings | May 26, 2016
U. of Chicago approves Diller Scofidio + Renfro design for new campus building
With a two-story base and 165-foot tower, the Rubenstein Forum will have room for informal meetings, lectures, and other university events.
University Buildings | Apr 27, 2016
SmithGroupJJR’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Building named 2016 Lab of the Year
Sustainable features like chilled beams and solar screens help the University of Illinois research facility use 50% less energy than minimum building energy efficiency standards.
University Buildings | Apr 25, 2016
New University of Calgary research center features reconfigurable 'spine'
The heart of the Taylor Institute can be anything from a teaching lab to a 400-seat theater.
University Buildings | Apr 13, 2016
Technology defines growth at Ringling College of Arts & Design
Named America's “most wired campus" in 2014, Ringling is adding a library, visual arts center, soundstage, and art museum.
University Buildings | Apr 13, 2016
5 ways universities use new buildings to stay competitive
From incubators to innovation centers, schools desire ‘iconic gateways’ that appeal to students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and the community.
