Architecture for Science

Research is the driving force behind all innovation. Yet, for a long time, the research building, the nucleus of social change, languished as a purely functional building, ignored by architectural discourse. However, today there is consensus that structures for research and knowledge transfer can do and must do more than just provide workplaces and experimental areas. They are actually spaces of communication and inspiration, a reflection of our times.

In Architecture for Science, Christine Nickl-Weller and Hans Nickl share their wealth of experience in planning research and science buildings. They initiate a discourse on social significance, work-environment demands, and future challenges. Buildings dedicated to science are regarded within the context of urban structures, as highly specialized building styles, in their dimension as working and living environments, as well as regarding innovation in research and construction. An interdisciplinary approach is a key factor of this discussion, and thus this volume includes articles not only by architects, urban developers, and specialist planners but also by experts from a wide range of research areas.

Projects:

New SupraFABR Research Building, Free University Berlin, Germany (Nickl & Partner)
Novartis Campus in Basel, Switzerland (Vittorio Magnano Lampugnani)
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, UAE (Foster + Partners)

Essays:

Planned flexibility in laboratory construction
We need extremely good architecture!
Experimental zone
Innovative façade systems
Intuitive signage for all senses
Buildings as laboratories for robotics