A Small Pearl in Hamburg: Technical building by Spine Architects

Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, located in Hamburg’s Jenfeld district, is one of the German army’s two universities. The ensemble comprising the buildings erected in 1972 now stands under historical protection.

The data centre by Spine Architects is the first of several newly created technical buildings on campus. This new structure now stands at the centre of campus, loosely added among the other structures in the extensive park.

The horizontal arrangement and materiality of the façade pay formal homage to the existing buildings. The design of the approximately 245-m², single-storey technical building is quite diffident. Glossy white, powder-coated aluminum panels cover the façade. In the technical area, which open upwards, perforations in the panels make the space seem airier and more permeable.

This alteration in the façade, along with the slight tapering of the cubature, subdivide the building. With the flush-mounted doors and covered downspouts, the architects have kept to the design specifications and created a sleek, but not unadorned, new player on the university campus.