The non-profit FOM University is Germany’s largest private university. With over 24 study centers in Germany and abroad, FOM university enrolls more than 21,000 working students, trainees, and apprentices. The new building of the FOM University Düsseldorf provides the necessary space for the ever-increasing numbers of students.
“Le Quartier Central” is a newly planned, nearly completed mixed-use area built on a former freight station in the centrally located Derendorf neighborhood. This setting is the new location for the FOM Düsseldorf University. The building can accommodate around 1,500 students and reflects on the infrastructural context of railway tracks, bridges, ramps and pedestrian connections in the building design.
Its first floor connects to a bridge with a projecting platform, creating a link between the different urban levels. The outer staircases and fire escape balconies allow for the compact circulation areas inside the building. Some curved balconies are connected to outdoor stairs, making the escape route for the upper floors more efficient. The inside of the building opens up to a sculptural staircase, leading the generous foyer upwards to connect all four auditorium levels.
Separate from the academic floors, the administration and the student information center are located on the 4th floor. Around the building of the FOM University is an 8,000 m² park situated above a two-story underground car park with 360 spaces. On site, there is potential space for future extensions.
Photography by David Franck, Patricia Parinejad
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