On the 1st of June, the cornerstone for the new buildings that house the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Institute of Chemistry and its Didactics was laid during a festive ceremony. The buildings at the corner of Luxemburger Strasse and Greinstrasse will be home to state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities.
Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee, Rector of the University of Cologne, welcomed the invited guests. The Mayor of Cologne, Teresa De Bellis-Olinger, the Provost, Karsten Gerlof, the Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Professor Dr Georg Bareth, and the Director of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Professor Dr Stephanie Kath-Schorr, delivered welcoming remarks. Together, the speakers packed a time capsule with documents and objects and placed it in the cornerstone, which was embedded in the floor of the foyer leading to the atrium on Greinstrasse. A concrete slab bearing the date of the cornerstone laying will cover the cornerstone. The event concluded with a reception for the guests.
The Rector of the University of Cologne, Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee, said: “With the construction of the new chemistry building, the University of Cologne is creating state-of-the-art research and working conditions, as well as optimal conditions for studying and teaching in one of our strongest research areas. In laying this cornerstone, we demonstrate both our willingness and our ability to successfully deliver large-scale scientific infrastructure projects. I would like to thank the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the city of Cologne for supporting this project, which is so important for the development of chemistry.”
Mayor Teresa De Bellis-Olinger explained: “This cornerstone marks a significant investment in Cologne’s future. The new building will lay the groundwork for strengthening research and teaching at a central location and for the long-term development of Cologne as a science hub.”
Karsten Gerlof, Provost of the University of Cologne, added: “The renovation of the mathematics and natural sciences wing on the university campus is clearly making good progress: following the new expansion of the physics building three years ago, modern research laboratories and attractive workspaces and common areas for students and staff are now gradually being built for the chemistry department as well.”
Professor Dr Georg Bareth, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, said: “Researchers from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as well as the Specialist Group Mathematics and Natural Science Education help ensure that the natural sciences play a leading role in research and knowledge transfer. This new science building will facilitate an even greater exchange of ideas, which will benefit academia, industry, and society.
The new Chemistry and its Didactics building has the potential to become a new hub for interaction and exchange among researchers and students on the university’s south campus.”
Professor Dr Stephanie Kath-Schorr, Director of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, explained: “In recent years, we have recruited many outstanding researchers while expanding our core strengths. This is evident in the DFG Research Training Groups RELOC and TiDE, as well as in the Humboldt Center for Nano- and Biophotonics, which together represent the full spectrum of chemistry in Cologne, from life sciences to materials science. The new building provides the shared space and research infrastructure needed to ensure that cutting-edge research and the training of the next generation go hand in hand.”
The University of Cologne aims to house all functions of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry – including mathematics and science education – at a single facility. This is also intended to generate synergies, as the complex equipment infrastructure can be shared to reduce the costs associated with equipment, infrastructure, and energy. Concentrating research facilities in this way would not have been feasible due to the limited space in the old existing buildings. With a total approved construction area of approximately 25,800 square meters – nearly the size of four football fields – and a budget of nearly 400 million euros, the project is one of the largest university construction projects in North Rhine-Westphalia. The construction project will be carried out in several phases until 2034.
Press and Communications Team:
Robert Hahn
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r.hahn(at)verw.uni-koeln(dot)de