Blog Construction measures at the University of Cologne

The university has founded a subsidiary together with medfacilities GmbH: UniSpaces GmbH. UniSpaces is to take on selected construction projects from the university’s Facility and Property Management Division and realize these.

The university is currently preparing a new ‘Masterplan 2040’ for its construction projects, due to be finalized by the end of 2026. The aim is to build more quickly overall because each delay costs money and throws subsequent projects off schedule. However, there is often a lack of staff and project management capacity: civil engineers, architects, and project managers are in demand. The limited number of applicants in this field are eagerly sought by the substantial number of employers, meaning that the public sector often loses out in the competition for qualified professionals. To establish a further means of support in this area, the university has founded a subsidiary company that can take on numerous construction responsibilities on its behalf.

Working with an experienced partner

The university has chosen medfacilities GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of University Hospital Cologne, as its partner for this project. medfacilities GmbH has been in existence for two decades and successfully realizes the construction projects of University Hospital Cologne. The university holds 75.1 per cent and medfacilities GmbH 24.9 per cent of ‘UniSpaces GmbH’. 

The aim of the foundation is to permanently relieve the staff shortages that have arisen at the university and to accelerate project realization. The construction duties to be performed will include project management, project control, consulting services in the context of construction projects, and the procurement of planning and construction services in accordance with public procurement law. The management of UniSpaces will consist of two representatives from the university (Christian Wagner, Thorsten Hildebrand) and one from medfacilities (Axel Stephan). The university’s construction division (Division 5 Facility and Property Management) will continue to take on the majority of upcoming construction and renovation projects despite the founding of UniSpaces. 

Customized structural solutions

Unlike most universities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, whose buildings are largely constructed by BLB NRW (building and real estate management North Rhine-Westphalia), the University of Cologne constructs its own buildings on the basis of a regularly updated ‘Masterplan’ for construction projects. The previous Masterplan 2030 will be updated to a Masterplan 2040 over the course of the year. In addition to this strategic construction planning, however, it is equally important that the university, through its role as the building owner, also has the opportunity to implement customized designs working closely in coordination with the users of the properties. Close communication with the university’s specialist departments and reliable handling of construction projects is also important because new research areas often call for flexible construction solutions. And last but not least, a substantial number of the university’s buildings are more than 50 years old, meaning that plenty of renovation projects are on the agenda. 

The Rector of the University of Cologne, Professor Joybrato Mukherjee, comments on the founding of UniSpaces GmbH: “With the foundation of UniSpaces, the upcoming construction projects of the university’s Masterplan 2040 can now be completed more quickly than was previously possible. We have thus established a means to manage future projects that will contribute to the development of Cologne as a science hub on a broader basis. I would like to thank the representatives of medfacilities and the university’s administration for their dedicated collaboration in the founding of UniSpaces GmbH. The foundation and development of the company were completed within three quarters of the year.”

Karsten Gerlof, Chancellor of the University of Cologne, says: “Many buildings are in need of renewal, not only at the university. We needed more capacity and new approaches in order to fulfil the renovation requirements and the demands of modern research and teaching. In medfacilities GmbH, we have now found a partner that has been successfully managing the structural development of the medical campus for a long time. We look forward to working together with our partners at medfacilities.”

“This partnership opens up strategically important perspectives for us,” says medfacilities Managing Director Professor Dr Peter Heinen. “We are diversifying our client base to leverage our expertise in public construction and establish ourselves more broadly.” Carsten Niemeyer, also Managing director, adds: “At the same time, we are creating new development opportunities for our team and additional capacities in all areas of the medfacilities Group. We are grateful for the trust that the university is placing in us and look forward to the new tasks ahead.”

The first section — the lower level of the square — will soon be completed and reopened to the public. This means that the construction site will be relocated.

The western section of Albertus Magnus Platz, directly adjacent to the Arts and Humanities building (Philosophikum), will be paved with greywacke by 13 October. This means that the construction site currently located there will be removed, making this part of the square accessible again. The corresponding doors of the Arts and Humanities building will also be accessible again. As a result, the construction site will be moved closer to the main building. Part of the bike path on the so-called ‘Uni-Boulevard’ (where the ‘PiKa’ pizza van is located) facing the lecture hall building will be cordoned off and renovated. Access to the pizza van will remain open; direct access from the main building to the lecture hall building and the university boulevard will be cordoned off. The path from the main building to the lecture hall building will run along the Arts and Humanities building via the stairs around the construction site. Barrier-free access is possible through the Arts and Humanities building. The underground car park and the catering facilities in the pavilion will still be accessible. The barrier is expected to remain in place for four weeks before being lifted again.

There is also an update on the current construction work: The construction companies are preparing the raised beds and will deliver the planned trees on 7 October and the perennials on 9 October. This will make the new design of this construction phase visible. Meanwhile, the renovation of the bridge will begin and construction work will move to the upper level of the square. 

The sculpture “revisited” by artist Martin Pfeifle has now been installed on Albertus-Magnus-Platz. Assembly workers positioned the three elements of the sculpture next to the pavilion above the bicycle garage, located between the lecture hall building and the Arts and Humanities building (Philosophikum). The work was completed in the afternoon.

The new artwork “revisited” consists of layered panel elements that reference the still partially preserved floor mosaic by Jürgen Hans Grümmer, situated directly in front of the main building. The object was cast in bronze and is divided into three separate elements. As an object in public space, the sculpture invites passers-by to engage with it and to explore. 
In addition to his sculptures in public spaces, the artist Martin Pfeifle is also known for his installations in museums. The interaction between viewer and artwork is a central theme in his work, both in his sculptures and museum installations. Positioned at the heart of Albertus-Magnus-Platz, Pfeifle designed the sculpture not only to spark interaction, but also to harmonize with the surrounding buildings, trees, and other artworks.
Martin Pfeifle studied at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 1998 to 2004 under Tony Cragg and Hubert Kiecol, later becoming a master student of Kiecol. Since February 2021, Pfeifle has been Professor of Body-Room-Structure at the Design Department at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences. His works have been shown internationally, and his outdoor sculptures can be found in numerous German cities, including Heidelberg, Nuremberg, and Düsseldorf.
 

More workspaces for students in the Physics Department, the Arts and Humanities building and the IBW: the University of Cologne is equipping two buildings with more workspaces for studying, with a third to follow by the end of the year.

Since August 2023, the university’s Facility and Property Management Division (Division 5) has equipped two further buildings with additional or new study- and workspaces for students. So far, over 90 new stations have been created: 32 in the IBW building on Herbert-Lewin-Strasse and 60 in the Arts and Humanities building (Philosophikum). The expansion of workspaces is part of an ongoing university initiative launched in 2022 with the creation of 30 stations in the library at the Cologne Biocenter.Since April 2025, around 35 additional workspaces have been available in the new seminar building on the main campus.

This development was prompted in the summer of 2023, when student representatives expressed the need for more workspaces in university buildings. The request was passed on to the Facility and Property Management Division by the chancellor. In a subsequent feasibility study, suitable spaces in the foyers of the buildings were identified, followed by fire safety and heritage protection inspections. Following the inspections, three buildings were selected: building 211 (IBW), building 103 (Philosophikum), and building 321 (Physics). The chosen furniture meets requirements for fire protection, safety, comfort, and integration with the surrounding architecture: the benches, chairs, and tables blend in with the architecture of the buildings. For example, the materials used for the study areas in the Philosophikum harmonize with the existing interior design. 

They are located on the ground floor and on the first, second, and third floors of the Philosophikum. In the IBW building, the new furniture can be found on the first and second floors between the lecture halls. Division 5 will redesign a total of 50 study workspaces in the foyer of the Physics buildung. These will feature different seating options, including high tables, an upholstered long bench with bistro tables, and two meeting modules for focussed work. Due to heritage protection and fire safety regulations, no power outlets could be installed in the IBW; in the Philosophikum, however, some were installed. The new individual workspaces in the Physics Department will also be equipped with power sockets.

The renovation of Albertus-Magnus-Platz is in full swing. What are the plans and when will construction be completed? 

Albertus-Magnus-Platz has been undergoing renovation for about a month now. The renovation work will cover the university square between the Arts and Humanities building (Philosophikum) and the main building, including the area directly above Universitätsstraße, which belongs to the city of Cologne. The university is aiming to give the central campus a cohesive feel and look, designing a space that meets all of the city's transport needs and also invites people to relax and enjoy the area. With extensive seating options and additional greenery in raised beds, the square will have an inviting and modern appearance. As part of the central campus, the square is a hub for student traffic and a meeting place where people can connect with the local neighbourhood, as well as a place for conversation and learning. The construction work is therefore also aimed at improving the quality of experience throughout the entire space. The city’s bridge construction, on which a part of the Albertus Magnus Platz rests, will also be reinforced and sealed in the course of the work. The work on the square became necessary following the construction of a bicycle garage and the restructuring of the adjacent areas in 2021.

Work already underway on the west side 

Construction work began last week with the closure of an area to the west of the square, directly in front of the Arts and Humanities building. The work on the part of the square between the Arts and Humanities building and the lecture hall is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026. During the second construction phase, the bridge deck over Universitätsstraße will be replaced and extended as far as the main building. The square will be built on two levels: a lower level at the western end in front of the Arts and Humanities building, and an upper level covering the rest of the square. A broad ramp stairway will bridge the difference in height between the two levels of the square. An accessibility ramp will also lead to the lower level in front of the Arts and Humanities building on the southern side of the square, and a further set of stairs will be connected to the ground-level guidance system. The architectural firm Studiogrüngrau was the mastermind behind the square’s new design. Around 9,500 square metres of the central campus square will be paved with greywacke, a hard sandstone. The natural stone is ideal for high-traffic areas as it is frost-resistant, slip-resistant and easy to maintain and clean. It has also been used in various locations in Cologne. 

A place to relax and enjoy

The underground bicycle garage has already been completed and integrated into Albertus-Magnus-Platz; construction of the area above it is now underway. The existing pavilion at the garage entrance is also part of the design, and the university has partnered with two small businesses to provide catering services for students and faculty members. The new artwork by Martin Pfeifle and the two spacious raised flowerbeds will provide additional seating areas where visitors can relax and enjoy the surroundings. Multi-stemmed trees with wide crowns have been selected to create an appealing green space, offering a shady spot for conversation in summer. These trees will be underplanted with perennials, grasses and sustainable tree species.

In addition to the recently refurbished sections of the University Boulevard, the western side of Universitätsstraße, adjacent to the square, will also be remodelled. The design will also incorporate a section of the bypass road at the northern end of the square, which will be paved with coloured asphalt to match the greywacke. New boundary lines will make the cycle paths visible across the entire square.

What changes can be expected?

Benches with high backs are planned for the bridge railings to the north and south of the square. These will also function as noise barriers. The parking spaces on the northern bend will be removed to make room for this. During the construction work, construction lorries are expected to enter the square, and there will be a traffic light to regulate pedestrian traffic. To minimise disruption to learning and research during this period, only certain, specific parts of the square will be closed off at a time. Bicycles can therefore no longer be chained to the site fence. Construction times will also account for examination phases. Information regarding any barriers and obstructions that may affect users of the square will be communicated in good time via social media and by expresso.