Located on Hegelstraße in Magdeburg, the project introduces a contemporary university dining facility into a sensitive historic urban and academic setting. Rather than competing with its surroundings, the architecture uses a restrained cubic form, warm brick façades and carefully proportioned openings to establish a clear contemporary identity while remaining connected to the material character of the existing campus.

The building is organized vertically around a precise functional sequence. The lower level accommodates technical functions and extensive bicycle parking, the principal dining level contains the main 78-seat dining hall, and the upper level integrates kitchen, preparation and staff facilities. Groundfloor plan new (1) First floor plan new (1) second floor plan new Generous horizontal windows bring daylight deep into the dining spaces and create visual connections with the surrounding campus, while the elevated upper volume helps form a sheltered and active ground-level edge.

Computational growth & ecological integration

Clear Vertical Organization

Brick & Transparency

Campus Integration

The building is structured as a precise sequence of functions across its levels. Bicycle parking and technical spaces occupy the lower level, the main dining hall forms the social heart of the building, and kitchen, preparation and staff areas are organized above for efficient operation. Groundfloor plan new (1)

A restrained brick envelope gives the building a robust material identity connected to its urban surroundings, while large horizontal openings bring daylight deep into the interior. The contrast between solid masonry and transparent glazing balances permanence with openness.

The compact volume responds carefully to the existing urban block and surrounding campus buildings. The elevated upper mass creates a sheltered edge at ground level, while entrances, circulation and public-facing spaces strengthen the relationship between the Mensa and everyday student movement through the site. The site plan shows the building inserted directly along Hegelstraße within the existing campus fabric.

Drawings, renders & details