From historic roundhouse to centre of the future
TECE is part of the award-winning Coppenrath Innovation Centre
Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stefan Weil once described the construction site at the roundhouse in Osnabrück as ‘one of the most exciting projects in Germany’. And not without reason. Built in 1914 as a place to store two turntables and 34 locomotives, the site will be converted into a centre of the future with 18 research facilities. The Coppenrath Innovation Centre (CIC) is a flagship project that has been created in these extraordinary historical surroundings. In the future, the new research location will be dedicated to the topic of ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI) in the fields of agriculture and health. The former industrial monument has been extensively renovated and modernised for this purpose. The repurposing means that around 300 employees can now work here at the heart of the new Lok district, in the immediate vicinity of the main train station.
TECE is also represented at the CIC. Those in charge decided on installation walls and flushing technology from TECEprofil, TECEfloor underfloor heating and TECE flush plates in matt white – the TECEfilo-Solid urinal flush plate with electronic actuation and the TECEsolid toilet flush plate. Another special detail: TECE has engraved the CIC's logo on the flush plates, thus transforming them into extraordinary unique items.
Awarded the Lower Saxony State Prize for Architecture
At the end of October 2020, the Münster-based architects Kresings in Hanover, together with their client, Ringlokschuppen Osnabrück GmbH, were awarded the Lower Saxony State Prize for Architecture for the realisation of the CIC. The jury emphasised that the Coppenrath Innovation Centre impresses with a well-proportioned and functional interplay between the building envelope, interior spaces and open space. The State Prize is the highest architectural honour awarded in Lower Saxony and is conferred by the state in cooperation with the Lower Saxony Chamber of Architects.
Looking back, the conditions were challenging. Since no planning documents existed, the planners had to develop everything from scratch. In addition, the building had been vacant for 20 years before the Aloys & Brigitte Coppenrath Foundation bought the old roundhouse in 2019. Together with the city of Osnabrück, it founded the ‘Ringlokschuppen Osnabrück GmbH’, which developed a sustainable and promising utilisation concept for the listed roundhouse. The city and foundation invested a total of 37 million euros, with a further 6 million euros provided by the federal government as part of the ‘NPS - National Urban Development Projects’ programme, which supports projects with particular national or international visibility and high innovation potential. ‘It is an incredibly exciting task to transform the half-circle building into a centre of innovation,’ said Kresing. The basic structure of the roundhouse was retained. The renovation project for the 8,000 m² building began in autumn 2020 and was completed in 2024.
Image: HGEsch Photography
Image: HGEsch Photography
After three years of construction, the building has been completely transformed. The former roundhouse has been transformed in several construction phases. 300 employees have found a new professional home in 9,000 square metres of office space. Inside, the architects play with the large area. Two-storey wooden modules in the higher central section and single-storey modules in the flatter peripheral areas ensure a modular and flexible use of the interior, primarily as office space. Spacious communal areas inside the building invite people to linger.
TECE products installed in the sanitary rooms and in the floor
Freedom of design was also an important criterion in the sanitary rooms. That is why those responsible opted for TECEprofil installation walls and TECE flushing technology in the bathrooms. The system offers great design freedom and thus supports the basic conceptual idea. Pipelines can be moved in the pre-walls and all the installation technology can be accommodated.
On the outside, the toilet facilities are finished with toilet flush plates from the TECEsolid series and the electronic urinal flush plates TECEfilo-Solid in matt white. Both series have been designed for public and semi-public toilets. They impress with their reduced elegance and flat structure in front of the wall. The TECEsolid toilet flush plate, which is only six millimetres thick, is manufactured in a robust sandwich construction: A two-millimetre-thick metal plate protects the plastic supporting frame against the hostility of the public, especially at high user frequency. It can be screwed on in a concealed manner to protect against theft. Rubber buffers under the buttons reliably prevent rattling noises when they are triggered and ensure a good feel.
The TECEfloor floor heating system in the CIC ensures comfortable temperatures with its high proportion of radiation, even in the hall-like rooms, and also enables surface cooling in summer if required.
Image: TECE
