Campus AAU Klagenfurt

In the following years (1973-77) the new university was erected as a structurally based system of individual, slightly stepped and staggered buildings. These volumes are connected to each other by bridge-like circulation corridors, creating courtyard structures of a specific kind. Around 2000 the development in the southerly direction was terminated by a slab that is slightly curved but nevertheless conveys an impression of massiveness. This meant that the additions dating from 2007 (University Sports Institute) and 2010 (Foundation Building) could only be made in the north and are positioned without any relationship to the rest of the complex.

We looked for an approach that would not just continue this somewhat heterogeneous development story but would augment and condense it so that, in the best of cases, the new development could be seen and experienced as part of a whole. The temptation to design a “signature building“ that would differ completely from the existing complex was great. But it seemed to us more coherent to discover a system that augments the existing buildings in a way that not only weaves together the new and the old but also meshes the different parts of the existing development with each other. This meant discovering the kind of system that could have served as a basis for the whole complex since 1970.

To achieve this, it was necessary to analyse the existing typologies. Naturally, the early building by Rainer, which from the start was conceived as a prototype, formed the start. The proportions of its wings and courtyard were projected southwards, while those of the main building were extended to the west. This produced an irregular grid that, like a chessboard, could be occupied with buildings which reflect the proportions of buildings erected at different dates.

In Campus Klagenfurt the interplay of open space and architecture allows the conception of modular, flexible ensemble. The composition of the building on the basis of gaps provides the basis for an omni-directional plasticity and extendibility. The ductus of the building is taken up in the open space and continued as a system of alternating squares and green areas. A series of different spaces and fields is created, whose diverse programming and possibilities of use are reflected in the planting, materials, and equipment.
Partly paved areas in front of the approaches to the buildings function as a formal entrance area, meeting point and events space. Individual trees, cooling water features, and seating for groups of different sizes support this programming. The core here is a pergola covered with climbing plants that connects the parts of the buildings.

Intended as part of a green, climate-active infrastructure, the planting of numerous trees will have a cooling effect in urban space. As far as possible squares will be covered with materials that allow water to seep away or will remain unsealed with gravel surfaces. In accordance with the “sponge city” principle the aim is to absorb on the site any water that runs off surfaces and roofs.