TUM School of Medicine and Health, Munich (DE)
New building,
Listed building
Client: Munich State Building Authority
Location: D-80809 Munich, Olympiapark
Architecture: ARGE Dietrich Untertrifaller, Balliana Schubert Landschaftsarchitekten
Competition: 2015, 1. prize
Construction: 2017 – 2022 / 2025
Area: 42,000 m² GFA, 37,900 m² NRF, 20 ha sports areas
Programme: 14 sports halls, 12 lecture halls, 15 diagnostic rooms, 5 workshops, 300 offices, cafeteria, library
Photos: Aldo Amoretti, Marcus Buck, David Matthiessen
Team
Karla Dornmair, Constantin Frommelt, Lara Kaufmann, Claudia Majer, Danijela Müller-Stojanovic, Simon Pirschl, Wilhelm Schnabel, Verena Schoissengeyr, Julian Straub, Heiner Walker (Project management)
Text: Gerlinde Jüttner
Partners
Statics: Merz Kley Partner, Dornbirn
Building services: Vasko+Partner, Vienna
Electrics: bbs-project, Tiefenbach
Thermal simulation: IB Hausladen, Kirchheim
Acoustics: Obermeyer, Munich
Landscape: Balliana Schubert, Zurich
Timber construction: Rubner Holzbau, Ober-Grafendorf
Awards
- DAM Preis , Shortlist
- Wood Design & Building Award, Award
- Austrian Green Planet Building , Award
Publications
"Light, freshness, generosity"
To this day, the slogan of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games still applies to the TUM School of Medicine and Health in Munich's listed Olympic Park. The two-storey timber building, 185 metres long and 153 metres wide, forms the new, striking address for the Faculties of Medicine and Sport and Health Sciences.
The 19 metre cantilevered canopy is a special timber construction made of prefabricated box girder elements that was assembled without the need for complex auxiliary scaffolding. It was important to us to fulfil the diverse requirements of the users in the best possible way. All functions - 14 sports halls, 12 lecture theatres, 15 diagnostics rooms, 5 workshops, 300 offices, cafeteria and library - are combined under one roof in the bright, lightweight timber construction.
The two streets – "Rue intérieure" in the building and "Rue extérieure" for the outdoor facilities –are the defining element, they serve as ameeting place, an access zone and a place of communication.
Two construction phases during ongoing operations
The entire complex was realised in two construction phases during ongoing operations: In the first phase (2018 – 2021), the two new hall clusters, the cafeteria, the library and the western canopy, as well as the entire "Rue interieure", a large part of the basement and the building services facilities were built after the existing small gymnastics halls were demolished. Once the new parts of the building were occupied, the large existing halls were demolished in the second phase (2021– 2025), the institute clusters were built and the outdoor facilities were constructed.
The "Rue interieure"
The clearly structured complex is divided into two hall and institute clusters along a central access axis. This "rue interieure" runs through the entire building from east to west and connects the areas of sport, teaching and research with a variety of visual axes and generous glazing. Inner courtyards permeate the core of the building, bringing daylight into its interior and adding variety to the pathways.
A variety of visual axes and generous glazing along the "Rue interieure" create a communicative, inviting ambience. This is where the various players meet, can talk to each other and watch the sports activities.
The sports halls
With a total of 14 sports pitches and a climbing facility, the two hall clusters offer optimal training facilities. With electronically controlled partitions, the halls can be flexibly adapted to the required pitch size.
The sporting centrepiece is the new athletics facility directly in front of the outdoor terrace of the main building. The running tracks are protected by the cantilevered wooden roof, so that highly sensitive sports measurements are possible regardless of the weather.
Free floating timber construction
The 19-metre cantilevered canopy is a special timber construction that can be assembled from prefabricated parts without the need for complex auxiliary scaffolding. The 28 metre long and 3.75 metre wide elements were glued together in the factory from commercially available veneer layer panels and glulam ribs to form high-performance box girder elements with very high rigidity and minimal weight. This made it possible to realise the large cantilever at economically justifiable costs.
The sports halls, institute areas and the entire roof structure are made of timber. This enables a high degree of prefabrication and therefore short assembly times. With perfect logistics for planning, production, delivery and assembly, the hall clusters were erected in just two months.
In addition to wide-span glulam beams, hybrid ceilings in timber-concrete composite construction and prefabricated timber elements for ceilings and walls were also used. The central access axis, stiffening staircase cores, lecture theatre and climbing hall as well as the basement were built as reinforced concrete structures.
Park-like sports landscape
The landscape concept by Balliana-Schubert focuses on the dialogue between the buildings and the park-like sports landscape. The outdoor area with the various sports fields was designed as a heavily greened park area. The "Rue extérieure" connects to the main building to the west and links it to all the sports fields.
