Project

Lustnau

Client
WT80
Services
Entwurfs- und Ausführungsplanung
Labor-Campus für Curevac und Wohnquartier in Tübingen

Hightech-Forschung im Dschungel-Look ​

In Tübingen gestaltet OOW ein denkmalgeschütztes Quartier so um, dass es sich vielseitig nutzen lässt: Hier entstehen neben Wohnungen auch hochspezialisierte Laborräume für das Biopharma-Unternehmen CureVac – und für die Tübinger ein wild begrünter Innenhof mit Dschungelcharakter.

„Einen der ikonischen Ort Baden-Württembergs in die Moderne heben und vielseitig nutzbar machen – für mich als Tübinger ein Traumprojekt.”​

Mathis Malchow, OOW CEO

Innenhof Egeria mit Dschungelartiger Hofbepflanzung

How can an old industrial site be brought into the modern age – and used in a variety of ways? This was the task facing OOW in Tübingen, where we designed a neighbourhood that is both affordable to live in and home to highly specialised research. 

For this purpose, a former textile factory – the Egeria – is being extended by several new buildings, creating research laboratories, offices as well as flats (mostly subsidised housing). The buildings are connected by bridges in the OOW concept, so that residents and visitors can easily move from one building to the next.

In addition: This is not a screened-off area, but an accessible, public place. It features a wild, green courtyard whose plants are barely trimmed or pruned: a little mini-jungle for everyone – and in one of Baden-Württemberg’s most iconic locations.   

What makes the project special


The requirements for laboratories needed by the future tenant CureVac are high – for example, in terms of ventilation or hygiene. In addition, the biopharmaceutical company must also be able to receive deliveries here in an uncomplicated manner. OOW’s architecture had to strike a balance: creating state-of-the-art workplaces for scientists and being respectful of an industrial building that is in fact a national monument.  

The name Egeria is known to everyone in the university town: Textiles were produced in the building for decades. At its peak, around 1,500 workers made hand and bath towels and bathrobes here. Almost all Tübingen residents have a connection to this icon – as does OOW founder and Tübingen native Mathis Malchow, whose mother used to buy the terry towels for the whole family at Egeria.

However, the fact that many residents have emotions associated with this building complex was not only a special incentive for OOW. At the same time, the ideas had to be coordinated with many stakeholders – for example, the façade with the city’s design advisory board. “Once again, our early and speedy visualisations paid off,” says OOW CEO Malchow. This made it much easier for the advisory board members to understand how the new buildings would relate to the monument. It soon became clear: The design does justice to the historic building and lifts it into the modern era. In addition, the redesign arms the houses against possible risks in the future: Because Tübingen is located in a hazard area, the neighbourhood was designed to be protected against earthquakes and floods.

What’s good to know:

The building is not only made greener by the special landscaping – this is also the case in a figurative sense. In the basement, there will be a so-called mobility hub with lockers for high-quality bicycles, showers and changing rooms as well as a workshop for repairs. Of course, parking spaces for e-bikes are planned as well as charging facilities with renewable energy. 

“I no longer want to develop any project without having seen it in VR first.”

Restaurateur Boris Freise, BMB Group

We have broken new ground with the use of VR technology, one of OOW’s many strengths. “Thanks to virtual reality, we got to plan the restaurant in its entirety and in photorealistic detail in the virtual space before the first brick was laid,” Malchow explains. By using the technology, Jamie Oliver’s design team was able to make decisions more quickly, minimise time-consuming modifications on site and have greater certainty regarding the individual steps in the process. Wearing the VR goggles, Jamie Oliver and his team were able to literally stand in the future restaurant, feel the proportions, look through the windows and view the TV tower from any position – long before the restaurant became a reality.

By using VR, OOW was able to create a sense of space that far surpasses previous visualisation methods. OOW co-founder Sebastian Blancke is convinced of one thing: “VR is a game changer for architecture.” Other stakeholders are also impressed by the new technology: “For me, this is the silver bullet,” says Boris Freise from the BMB Group, which has been realising food service projects for 20 years, from sky lounges to beer gardens and cafés in Berlin’s major museums, and will also operate the “Jamie Oliver Kitchen” restaurant in Berlin. “I no longer want to develop any project without having seen it in VR first.”

One highlight is the semi-transparent, tinted glass that provides a glimpse into the show kitchen, giving guests the feeling of being part of a special experience. In order to skilfully conceal unsightly elements in the room, the OOW team integrated arches around a staircase that was initially perceived as an obstacle – and gave it new functions. A potential shortcoming was turned into an asset by transforming it into the central element of the room with a bar, serving area and wine fridge. A factor not to be underestimated: The terrace, designed with clapboard panelling and covered plant troughs, offers every guest, whether inside or outside, the opportunity to see both the television tower and the Bode Museum – a rarity in Berlin.

The result is a space that not only sets the first big stage for the iconic British chef, but also heralds a new era in architectural planning – with an unprecedented fusion of teamwork, design, and technology.

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Leipziger Straße 56

10117 Berlin