Leuphana University Inaugurates Libeskind Building
A new place of encounter and exchange in northern Germany
Lüneburg, Germany. Leuphana University of Lüneburg has a new face: its new central building was officially inaugurated on 11 March in the presence of Lower Saxony Minister-President, Stephan Weil. Built according to the plans of world-famous architect Daniel Libeskind, the spectacular building now forms the University's new centrepiece. It provides the perfect place to link together study, research and life, university and society. The building towering at nearly 37 m, cost around EUR 100m. About half of its total usable floor space of 13,000 square meters will be used for research. Furthermore, an area greater than 5,000 square meters will be dedicated to a student centre and a seminar centre. The building's event centre can accommodate up to 2,500 visitors, 1,100 of them in the new Main Auditorium.
Minister-President Weil said: "The University has received an architectural highlight, which also makes the pride of the city and the region". He also said a forum had thereby been created, which corresponds to the ideals of an open society, thus reflecting the guiding principles of the university and the country. Around 900 representatives from the worlds of politics, the church, science, business and society took part in the Grand Opening ceremony.
For Leuphana's President Sascha Spoun, this new building is but a milestone in the university's evolution. Its quest for aesthetic fulfilment symbolises Leuphana University's guiding principles. In recent years, the university has fundamentally revived its research and teaching programme, morphing into a modern university for the civil society of the 21st century.
The university is located on former military barracks. The design by Daniel Libeskind sets a counterpoint to their structure. For his work, the architect sought an intensive exchange with students and let their ideas flow into the composition. Libeskind: "For the new Central Building at Leuphana, I was inspired by the ethos of the University; Leuphana is an incubator for new ideas, innovation, research and discovery. The new building is imbued with these principles."
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Henning Zühlsdorff
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